The Potions Master
by Kittenshift17
Summary: She hated herself just a little for hoping that he approved of the way she looked whilst half-naked, blaming it again on her incessant need for the approval she so craved from him academically. Hermione decided that she ought to have her head examined if she could in some twisted way yearn for him to approve her appearance and her body.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Set in the Summer between sixth and seventh year for the trio, Hermione is of age. Snape, Sirius and Remus are all younger too, all only just pushing thirty-five as a maximum. Sirius & Dumbledore are still alive, Voldemort is still lurking in the shadows and the war is progressing slower._**

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><p><strong><span>The Potions Master: Chapter 1<span>**

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><p>Severus Snape was thinking particularly cruel thoughts about a certain black-haired Azkaban escapee as he exited the most recent meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. Stalking towards the front door, meaning to leave this dilapidated building Black called a house, Severus stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a sharp intake of breath to his left.<p>

Drawing his wand he spun towards the source of the sound, wand raised threateningly, only to come face to face with a sight he most certainly had never seen before and one that disturbed him immensely. Standing wrapped in nought but a too-small white fluffy bath towel, her skin still flushed and dripping, Hermione Granger was frozen in the act of towel drying her hair. A dark blush crept across her cheeks as she stared at him wide-eyed.

Snape stared back at her in shock. Her long, usually-unruly curls hung limp and damp over one shoulder. Her mouth was hanging open in shock even as she blushed at being seen dressed – or rather, undressed – in nought but a towel by her Potions Professor. She might as well have been standing in front of him naked for all the good the towel was doing. It was much too small, the ends only just overlapping across her petite torso. Her peaches and cream skin was flushed from the heat of her shower and looked silky smooth.

So caught in his shock at seeing the once unappealing girl suddenly very much a desirable young woman, Severus was unable to stop the trail of his eyes over her slender, lightly freckled shoulders, the curve of her long neck and the suggestive dip of that towel towards her modest cleavage. Tight as it was, he suddenly found himself with a very real knowledge of the size of that cleavage and the way the towel hugged her petite waist before flaring into the decidedly womanly hips showed she was very much a young woman now and no longer an awkward, gangly little girl.

He hated himself a little for the lack of control he was showing as his traitorous eyes swept over her long, shapely legs; freshly waxed if the tiny red spots at each follicle and the occasional drop of blood was any indication. Her small feet were bare and Severus curled his lip to see her perfectly manicured toes.

"Professor?" She asked and Severus snapped his eyes back to her face, his expression darkening into a fierce looking sneer.

"What, might I ask, do you think you are doing?" he asked her, enjoying the flicker of apprehension in her cinnamon eyes.

"Erm…." She began, blushing a darker shade of pink beneath his gaze.

"The meeting is over" he hissed in irritation when she took too long to think of something to say that wouldn't require stating the obvious "And you, Miss Granger, are loitering in the hallways, naked."

"I'm not loitering!" she protested indignantly "And I'm not naked!"

Curling his lip in a devious and somewhat lecherous manner, Snape very pointedly eyed the straining fabric of the too-small towel covering her body.

"You're as good as" He replied "What is wrong with the younger generation that you feel no urge to leave anything whatsoever to the imagination?"

She blushed furiously and made to stomp her foot indignantly whilst sucking in a breath to protest his accusation that she was being less than modest and both student and teacher froze when the movements were too much for the over-strained towel. The corner she had tucked in to secure the fabric around her small frame slipped free of its restraint and Hermione Granger gasped in mortified outrage as the towel began to slip towards the floor.

She clutched at it futilely but not before Severus Snape caught sight of the enticing roundness that made up the valley between her pert breasts and just the barest glimpse of her taut tummy. He restrained himself from raising an eyebrows as he caught sight of a long, thin purple scar that began across the topside curve of her left breast, slicing diagonally across the valley between both breasts and disappearing beneath the folds of the towel. It was a deep shade of purple and slightly raised as though someone had taken to her with a barbed whip or sliced across her flesh with an impossibly sharp blade.

He knew the look of such a scar, knowing from experience that such were caused by the contact of very Dark magic. He had a few scars from such magic himself.

Clearly too embarrassed to speak, she stared at him wide-eyed and Severus clenched his hand around his now-lowered wand until his knuckles went white.

What was wrong with him?

He was her teacher, for Merlin's sake! Never in all his years of teaching had Severus Snape allowed himself, nor had the slightest inclination to view any of his students as anything other than dunderheaded children prone to carelessness and stupidity. Yet the sight of her supple young body and innocently blushing features found him viewing her not as some stupid, incapable child, but as a desirable and enticing young witch. And his own frequent, barbed comments indicated that the young woman staring at him so was anything but stupid.

Gritting his teeth in an attempt to ignore the way certain parts of his anatomy were clearly feeling rebellious against his usually stead-fast, unwavering control and had begun to twitch to life, Snape allowed his sneer to deepen until Miss Granger forgot all about being embarrassed in favour of fearing him.

"You are lucky that this is not Hogwarts" He told her angrily, striking out at her in anger for the fact that she had managed to elicit a response from his body "You would have detention for the entire year…. Perhaps, Molly Weasley would be interested to learn that a child in her charge is wantonly flaunting herself in such a manner."

Hermione's blush-darkened cheeks drained of colour and Severus felt a sense of satisfaction to see her paling in fear.

"The meeting is over" he continued in a low hiss, "Get upstairs and dress yourself appropriately before anyone else has the misfortune of seeing you so wantonly exposed!"

She practically whimpered in fear when he indicated with his white-knuckled wand hand for her to go ahead of him and scurry up the stairs.

"Don't let me catch you so inadequately clothed again Miss Granger" he growled to her from the bottom of the stairs, trying not to let his eyes linger on her creamy things and the way her sinewy muscles bunched and stretched as she took the stairs two at a time.

When she reached the first landing she turned and looked back at him, and Severus could swear he saw the faintest hint of a smirk on her suddenly smooth features.

"Have a nice night, _Professor_" she called back to him sarcastically before disappearing around the corner of the winding staircase.

Scowling darkly, Severus slammed the door as he exited Grimauld Place. He felt a sense of satisfaction when he heard the shrill screeching of Mrs Black's portrait begin just before he stepped off the front step and Apparated away with a sharp crack.

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><p>Back inside Number 12 Grimauld Place, Hermione Granger was leaning against the door to her bedroom dressed in her too small towel and trying to work out if she felt like laughing or blushing like the school-girl she was.<p>

She knew she ought to be embarrassed and terrified at having had Professor Snape almost see her naked. And he'd accused her of being as good as naked anyway, the bastard! Logically she knew that embarrassment was the right response to being caught by a teacher in a too-small bath towel, dripping wet and alone in a hallway.

Yet, for some reason she felt a little bit tingly all over.

She'd never been so exposed in front of anyone else, ever. Not in her entire life. Normally, she would've taken her clothes with her to the bathroom, the pyjamas she meant to put on or her bathrobe. But she'd been so caught up in learning how to use the hot wax to de-hair her body that Ginny had given her, she'd forgotten all about things like knickers.

Even Ginny had never seen her wearing so little. To have Snape do so…. Hermione quivered. It had felt so strange, not only to be standing there with the cool evening air of the house brushing her flushed, exposed skin beneath her towel, but also to stand there with his dark eyes on her semi-exposed body. She'd never felt anything like it and Hermione wondered if she had imagined the way his knuckles had turned white around his wand as though he had gripped it tighter at the sight of her.

Giggling to herself, Hermione wondered what on earth was wrong with her. Had she lost her mind? Who cared if Snape had looked at her strangely and had let those chilling, assessing, unsettling dark eyes rove over her exposed skin as though he was seeing her for the very first time as being something other than bushy hair and a raised hand? Why did she feel funny in the pit of her stomach for the fact a grown man had seen her clad in so little?

Hermione bit her lip as she leant against the door.

She felt strange. She'd always yearned for the approval of her teachers, and Snape was the only one to have ever denied her that approval. All the others willingly admitted that she was clever and gave her great marks on her assignments. And though she always felt good to get her grades back and see she'd gotten one hundred percent on something, she sort of liked the challenge Snape presented when he gave her marks that encouraged her to try even harder. To do better.

She'd never tell anyone of course, not only because she didn't like to let anyone know she didn't get full marks on everything, but also because she was disturbed by the fact that it gave her a little thrill every time she got her marks back with some comment about not just regurgitating the words of the textbook or asking why she'd failed to mention some fact she'd been unable to fit on the parchment due to his restrictive essay lengths. She enjoyed the challenge of needing to weed out some of the less important information to make sure she included everything in the next essay.

As she'd stood there downstairs with his eyes travelling over her small frame, Hermione had felt that familiar burning for some sign of approval and now she was left wondering if she'd gotten one or not. She had no experience whatsoever with the way men should react to her feminine form, because the only boys she associated with her Harry and Ron, who seemed to think of her as being of as much sexual capability as a lamp or a cauldron. She associated with others, Fred and George for example, but they were both always so concerned with pranking and ingredients for their latest prank product that she wasn't sure they even knew she was useful for more than quizzing regarding spells and ingredient interactions, or being their latest prank victim.

The other males she associated with were Mr Weasley, who viewed her as an adoptive daughter; Sirius, who was usually involved in alternating between egging on the twins and brooding over his continued confinement within Heaquarters; and Remus, who had once been her teacher and was often irritable due to his curse or was focused on Order business and rarely had time to notice her. The only time he did was when Hermione quizzed him about something she was unable to gain access to from the limited Black family library.

Others, like Bill and Mundungus and Kingsley and Professor Dumbledore paid her very little mind, if they noticed her at all. Usually, Professor Snape belonged in the same category. He did little more than belittle her if he ever took any notice of her presence at all, spicing things up every now and then with a jarring comment but otherwise pretending she, Harry and Ron didn't exist.

Yet tonight had been different.

She knew he'd been just as shocked at coming across her dressed in naught but a towel as she was too see him stalking out of the meeting that she had expected would carry on much later into the night. Hermione had been surprised by his open inspection of her body. Normally he was much colder and much more controlled.

The more she thought about the event, the more Hermione noticed things. Like the way the young Professor cut such an imposing figure, dressed all in his regular black robes backlit by the light streaming from the hallway behind him. In her mind's eye Hermione could picture the dark haired Professor and she was surprised when she realised there was something different about him than there had been in the past.

Trying to pinpoint what it was, Hermione made her way across her bedroom, dropping the too-small towel to the floor and donning her pyjamas quickly, barely noticing the loose fitting flannel bottoms of dark blue that depicted snowflakes in white and periwinkle. Slipping a matching blue tank top over her torso, Hermione dropped down to sit on her bed, still towel-drying her curly hair in an attempted to keep it from frizzing.

She closed her eyes as she thought about the Professor, replaying the scene in her mind, trying to work out what about Snape had seemed different. Was it his hair? The black strands had looked strangely silky rather than oily and lank, but that could've just been the lighting. Was it his teeth? She recalled the way she'd often thought them somewhat yellowing and crooked, trained to notice as a dutiful dentist's daughter, and she snapped her fingers as she pictured his smirking sneer that had revealed straighter-looking, white teeth.

Had he used some spell to fix them? Had his imposing, prominent nose seemed more striking than hooked and ugly?

Was she losing her mind?

Hermione decided she must be. What else could cause her to notice such things about her Professor? Unless it was merely that she and her friends had always viewed him as fearsome and a little monstrous, 'the bat of the dungeons'; 'the greasy-haired git'; 'the hook-nosed goblin'. Could it merely be maturity catching up with her that was suddenly causing her to view him differently? As more human seeming? As a person with feelings like everyone else?

Hermione wondered idly if he knew what people said about him behind his back and suddenly felt bad for having referred to him unfavourably a time or two herself. It couldn't be easy to be Severus Snape, she mused. On one side he was a member of the Order, loyal to Dumbledore and doing as commanded by the Headmaster to ensure he effectively played the role of a spy. Yet on the other hand he was also bid to do as asked by Voldemort as he tried to maintain that he was loyal to the megalomaniac and pretended to spy on the Order.

On top of that he maintained a position as a teacher at Hogwarts and Hermione suspected it was not a position he enjoyed, if his general demeanour in the classroom was any indication.

Hermione examined her memory of running into him again and she wondered if it was silent restraint to keep from wanting to touch her, or to keep from shouting at her that had turned his knuckles white around his wand. She wondered if the way his eyes had travelled over her skin, lingering on her long, smooth, and now hair-free legs for longer than necessary was a sign of his silent approval or his disgust at being confronted by the sight of a student so poorly concealed.

She hated herself just a little for hoping that he approved of the way she looked whilst half-naked, blaming it again on her incessant need for the approval she so craved from him academically. Deciding that she ought to have her head examined if she could in some twisted way yearn for him to approve her appearance and her body, and possibly even find her desirable in lieu of his approval of her academic prowess, Hermione huffed to herself, picking up the latest tome she had uncovered of interest. Titled _Dark Curses: Get Them before They Get You, _it was a fascinating book and she was completely absorbed in the magic she'd been learning from within its pages.

Her run-in with Dark Magic in the Department of Mysteries that had left her with a ten inch, raised purple scar across her chest as though someone had whipped her, had taught her that shying away from the subject for fear of being seduced by the Dark Arts would in no way assist her should she ever encounter Dark magic again. She had decided that if she was going to encounter such curses as the one Dolohov had struck her with, she wanted to know any preventative measures she could learn in order to counter them. Hermione refused to admit it to herself but as she was learning the counter curses and ways in which to heal such dark spells, she was also taking note of the offensive magic, should she ever have call to render some vile creature useless in the coming war.

Losing herself in the pages of her book as she snuggled up in bed, Hermione forgot all about Severus Snape and his wandering gaze and whether or not his approval mattered to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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><p>"'Mione wake up!" She heard Ginny's voice call through her door over the incessant knocking of fists against the hardwood.<p>

Groaning at being woken and rubbing sleep from her eyes, Hermione sat up. She and Ginny used to share a bedroom. They had done last summer. But since it was no longer safe for Hermione to return home to visit her parents (who had subsequently been sent into hiding) Hermione had decided she wanted the privacy of her own room. Mostly the decision had been based on the fact that Hermione liked to stay up until ungodly hours of the night reading and Ginny grumbled about such behaviour. Ginny and Harry had also begun dating and so Hermione felt that they would appreciate having somewhere a little more private to snog.

"Come on Hermione! Breakfast is ready!" Ginny called through the door again.

Hermione glanced down at the open book across her legs realising she must've fallen asleep reading last night. Grumbling to herself, Hermione climbed out of bed, shoving her feet into her slippers as she went to the door to let Ginny in.

"Finally!" the red-head complained "I've been knocking for ages. Mum says breakfast is ready, and it's been decided that a trip to Diagon Alley is in order. We're all running low on supplies. Mum wants to get more ingredients for healing things, Fred and George have to open the shop, and our letters from Hogwarts came this morning. It's time to get our books and things. Come on, let's get breakfast."

Hermione smiled as she let the girl drag her down the many flights of stairs towards the kitchen. The idea of going to Diagon Alley excited her. They'd all been cooped up in Headquarters all summer and she was dangerously low on books to read, not to mention that she needed to restock her Apothecary. She'd taken to brewing potions and things that she came across that would be useful to counter dark magic, including the ten different potions she'd had to take when she'd been attacked in the Department of Mysteries. Stocking up would allow her to try some new potions she found but hadn't been able to attempt yet because she'd run out of ingredients.

They were in the kitchen before Hermione realised she'd forgotten to don her dressing gown and she wondered if she imagined it when she walked into the room and saw Sirius glance at them before doing a double-take.

"Good Morning Hermione, dear" Mrs Weasley greeted her, patting her cheek affectionately as she handed Hermione a plate and waved her towards the table where all manner of breakfast foods were laid out.

"Good morning" she replied, before covering her mouth as she yawned. Dropping into an empty seat beside Ron, Hermione began piling her plate, glancing sideways when she felt eyes on her. Ron was watching her stack her plate and Hermione quirked an eyebrow when he didn't look away or respond at all to have her return his stare. His eyes trailed across her and Hermione frowned when she realised it was in the same manner that another pair of eyes had travelled over her skin just last night.

When Ron's eyes lingered too long on the modest cleavage peeking out the top of her tank top, Hermione huffed and blocked his view by reaching for her cup of tea.

"Your letter from Hogwarts came this morning" Harry told her, clearly oblivious to Ron's behaviour and to Hermione's snug tank top. "You should open it. Seventh year and all…"

Hermione took the letter when Sirius handed it to her across the table, raising her eyebrows when he winked at her. She felt self-conscious as Harry's implication sunk in. She could feel eyes on her and Hermione felt somewhat sheepish rather than all that pleased when the head-girl badge slipped out of her envelope and tinkled against the table top.

"Head Girl!" Mrs Weasley crowed excitedly, swooping on her proudly and hugging her. All around the table everyone began congratulating her and Hermione wondered why she didn't feel all that excited or happy about the accomplishment.

"Well done Hermione" Sirius told her, hoisting her out of her chair and into a hug. Hermione smiled at them all, but for some reason she wasn't all that thrilled about being Head Girl.

"Did either of you get Head Boy?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron once they hugged her as well.

"Nah" Ron said around a mouthful of bacon "We reckon Ernie or maybe Justin got it. They get pretty good grades like you and they're never in trouble. We get detention too often."

Hermione nodded in understanding.

"Did Ginny tell you we're off to Diagon Alley today?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah, how are we getting there?" Hermione asked.

"Apparating. Apparently Dumbledore's got the whole Order coming with us. Anyone they can spare." Ron told her.

"Even Sirius gets to come" Harry grinned, clapping a beaming Sirius on the shoulder.

"But what if you get caught?" Hermione asked the beaming man. Sirius shrugged.

"Kingsley's got rumours running around that I was last spotted in Wales somewhere, and Dumbledore's not taking any chance on having the Death Eaters grab one of you kids. Not with all the information you've got on Harry and the Order. I'm going as a dog, of course, but there will be so many of us that even if people suspect, they'll forget at the sight of all of us."

"Who else is coming?" Hermione asked, rather than arguing or making the bloke feel bad when he looked like all his Christmases had come at once at the prospect of getting out of this wretched house. Hermione herself was tired of being cooped up and didn't want to think about how much worse it would be for Sirius who hadn't been allowed out in more than year.

"Everyone they can spare, McGonagall, Kingesley, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Hagrid, Molly and Arthur, Bill if he can get off work… _Snape_" Sirius growled sinisterly and with such angry venom and a hateful look that Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"They're even going to let the mutt out of its cage" A cold, sarcastic, baritone replied and everyone spun to find Severus Snape leaning causally in the doorway of the kitchen. Hermione realised Sirius had seen him there, and that was why he'd spoken his name in such a way.

Molly shrieked in surprise at suddenly finding him in their midst, Ron cursed foully and Sirius glared hatefully. Ginny paled and even Harry had jumped. When Hermione looked over at the sinister, cold professor she was surprised by his casual stance. Normally he stood rigid and stiff as though there was a broom attached to his spine to keep him from bending or slouching.

She was even more surprised when she realised he looked even more imposing and dangerous leaning so casually. At least when he was tense you expected that he could lash out at any moment. As she watched him she realised that seeing him such was like coming across a wary serpent in one's garden.

Normally he was like a cobra, raised and hissing, ready to strike or spit venom as the need arose. Today, he seemed more like a coiled viper, relaxed but watchful. Hermione knew that either stance would allow him to strike like the snake she compared him to, but she realised the latter was the more dangerous of the two because his relaxed stance suggested that he was less likely to attack, lulling a gardener into a false sense of safety and security.

"Oh Severus, don't do that" Molly scolded, her hand pressed against her chest as though that alone could still her racing heart. Snape sneered silently, and Hermione noticed that it hadn't been the light last night. He actually didn't look greasy or oily, but instead his long black hair looked silky as it hung in dark curtains around his sallow face.

"Excited for your outing Black?" Snape taunted "It must be so nice to know that the Order is finally desperate enough to put even your mediocre skills as a glorified guard dog to use."

"And I suppose you're excited to see so many of your friends" Sirius sneered "Tell me Snivellus, if the Death Eaters are in the alley, will you be punished for attacking them? Will your dear _Lord_ forgive you for attacking your brothers?"

Hermione didn't know if it was the use of the hated and little known nickname or the implication that Snape wasn't loyal to the Order, but his wand was out in a heartbeat, silent curses shooting at Sirius as Snape entirely lost his temper.

Everyone started yelling at once, Harry, Ron and Ginny turning on Snape for attacking Sirius, Mrs Weasley yelling at them about Dumbledore telling them not to fight and about the mess they were making when one of Snape's curses rebounded off Sirius's shield, shattering a stack of clean plates on the counter.

Like the snake Hermione had only moments prior compared him to, Snape struck viciously, darting into the room as the two men began to duel and the only thing Hermione could think to do to stop them was something completely foolish.

She knew it was foolish but she didn't care.

Snape's attention was fixed on Sirius, his hexes and curses aimed around the teenagers in the room who were all shouting. Hermione could hear Mrs Weasley shouting and in the hall Mrs Black's Portrait began to scream. She didn't entirely know why she did it, since it was highly unconventional in a roomful of magic-folk, but before Snape could actually hit Sirius or vice versa, Hermione stepped right in front of Snape. He tried to shove her aside, but Hermione held her ground even when the others began shouting at her to move.

When he tried to shove her again, Hermione reached over and snatched his wand out of his grip before reaching up with her other hand and slapping the potions master right across the face.

"Enough!" She hissed at him.

When the shock at what she had done sank in to a chorus of gasps from her friends, Sirius and Molly, and the echoing sound of the slap in the suddenly silent room, Hermione looked up guiltily at Snape who towered over her imposingly and looking like he was about to explode into a full-blown rage.

"You are supposed to act like a mature adult and role-model as a teacher of most of the members in this room. You have been told countless times by Dumbledore not to taunt Sirius or fight with him and you were completely out of control," Hermione snapped, trying to justify her actions before he could hurt her.

"You dare?" He hissed in a voice so cold and low that Hermione felt Ron's hand on her shoulder trying to drag her away from the furious professor. "You dare to snatch my wand? To slap me like some gropey date?"

He was snarling and his black eyes glittered dangerously.

"Look at what you've done?" Hermione replied curtly, feeling like she very much wanted to run away and hide from the terrifying man leering at her but knowing that showing weakness now would only make things even worse. "Look at the state of this kitchen all because you lost your temper like a five year old on the playground."

"He…" Snape began to argue with her and Hermione cut him off.

"_He_ has been trapped in this house for more than a year while you constantly torment him over that fact. _You_ started it, and now look at the mess you've made even though you have both been told countless times to refrain from arguing and especially from duelling like obnoxious teenagers." Hermione hissed back "You are a grown man! Act like it!"

Behind her Sirius sniggered and Hermione spun to growl at him.

"That goes for you as well Sirius! You're both acting like a pair of snotty fourth years!"

Sirius recoiled from her slightly and Hermione caught Ginny, Harry and Ron all staring at her incredulously. Mrs Weasley looked concerned by whatever expression Snape was wearing behind her but approving of the dressing down she was giving both juvenile men.

"That is the second time in as many days" Snape's low, dangerous voice could be heard close to her ear and Hermione spun back around to look at him, still clutching his confiscated wand in her fist "That you have done something that would land in you months of detention Miss Granger."

He glared down at her even as he stepped closer and snatched his wand back. Glaring down his hooked nose at her he added "I suggest you do not make it a third or there will be severe consequences."

"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall's sharp voice came from the doorway and Hermione was saved having to reply to Snape, though he continued to glare at her threateningly, looking as though he would very much like to deduct house points, assign her some degrading detentions and possibly, physically hurt her.

"Hermione is demonstrating the fact that she is going to make an efficient and utterly formidable Head Girl" Sirius replied nonchalantly as though he'd not just been hurling hexes at the Potions Professor. Hermione blushed when she heard the mumbled agreement from her friends and saw Snape's face curl into a mocking sneer to hear that she'd been made Head Girl.

"Severus?" McGonagall asked sharply when he continued to glare at Hermione from well within her personal space.

Hermione tried not to let her eyes dart to the large red hand-shaped blotch marring his cheek.

She'd slapped a teacher.

It was one thing to have disarmed him in third year at the same time as Harry and Ron, resulting in him being knocked unconscious, but to have outright slapped him across the face as though he was some lecherous villain... Hermione felt herself begin to blush again at the way he had sounded so outraged at the idea of being slapped '_like some gropey date'_ and tried not to chortle at the suddenly ridiculous imagining that popped into her head of Snape going on a date and groping about like some inexperienced boy.

His scowling expression was enough to keep Hermione from giggling at her own outrageous and panicked thoughts, but not enough to keep her from suddenly wondering if Severus Snape had ever been in any way sexually inclined with anybody and had to study her feet to keep from laughing out loud.

She must be losing her mind.

"Severus!" McGonagall snapped sharply "If you are quite finished, your menacing stance and proximity to Miss Granger is entirely inappropriate."

Snape began to vibrate with what Hermione assumed was rage to have been on the receiving end of two lectures in such close occurrence and was more than happy to allow Ron to use his grip on her shoulders to drag her back from the fiercely scowling dark wizard. It intrigued her when she was half a room away to realise he looked far more imposing from back here than he had from up close even though he seemed have been intending the opposite. Hermione wondered if it was his own reclusiveness that perhaps carried over, making him uncomfortable to have been standing so close to her.

"If looks could kill" Sirius said mildly, noticing the way Snape was still glaring hatefully at Hermione, his cheek now bright red.

"With enough intent, they can" Snape whispered dangerously and Hermione felt goose-pimples prickle across her skin. He smirked nastily when he caught sight of them.

"Sirius, could you please shut your mother up?" Hermione asked him as a way of distracting everyone when she realised that the portrait was still screaming about Mudbloods and filth.

"I better get this mess cleaned up" Molly said, jumping into action now that the spectacle was over "You kids better get upstairs and get dressed. Prepare lists of anything you want or need in Diagon Alley. We will not be dilly-dallying around whimsically today. It will be in, buy, out. Be sure to dress as plainly as possible so you don't attract attention."

Hermione followed Ginny, Harry and Ron as they scurried out of the kitchen after Sirius while Mrs Weasley and Professor McGonagall set about cleaning up the mess that had been made during the duel, including extinguishing a section of the wall that had caught on fire.

She winced in fear when Snape gripped her bicep in a bruising hold, jerking her to a stop.

"Don't _ever_ take the wand out of _anyone's_ hand like that again" He hissed down into her upturned face menacingly and Hermione nodded quickly, ducking her head and trying to refrain from rubbing her arm as he released her and sent blood gushing back through her starved veins, making it tingle even as the gripped area ached in a way that made her suspect she would have a bruise there come nightfall.

"Yes, sir" she muttered contritely before scurrying out of the kitchen after her shell-shocked friends. Behind her she could swear she heard McGonagall incredulously ask:

"Did she slap you Severus? Your cheek is red with her hand-print."

She cringed in fear and felt a fist of dread curl inside her gut when she heard him reply.

"An insolence she will regret."

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><p><strong>AN: Big thanks to jitra, bournespeed, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and MrsHermioneSnape06 for reviewing. And to my one anonymous reviewer as well. It's nice to know people are actually reading and enjoying the story. I feel I should warn you that I'm not really a slow-burn type of writer, so if you're looking for that turn back now. Next Chappie should be posted soon. Don't forget to read and review. Much love. xx-Kitten**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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><p>"Alright you lot" Mad-Eye yelled over the chatter in the foyer of Grimmauld Place "There's too many of us. Do you lot really all need to go together?"<p>

Hermione rolled her eyes at the idea that he was going to try and tell her, Harry, Ginny and Ron that they wouldn't all being going to Diagon Alley today.

"Oh for crying out loud Mad-Eye, they'll be in a group with all of us spread out around them. It will be fine!" Tonks told him, before turning her back on him and transforming her face to that of Mad-Eye and miming giving orders to Hermione and Ginny. Ginny giggled into her palm while Hermione smiled and tugged at the sleeves of the robe she'd donned. She wore muggle jeans that were a little too snug to be entirely appropriate if the glance Sirius had given them was any indication, and a plain black skivvy with a matching black robe-like cloak.

To be honest she felt a little as though she were dressing up like Snape from the way it billowed when she moved but no one had commented so she wasn't sure if she was just being paranoid beneath the less than approving glare Snape was levelling her across the room.

"Given that every idiot and his dog will be getting their supplies today there is almost certainly going to be some kind of attack and moving in a group will be difficult" Mad-Eye countered while Sirius, in dog form let loose an odd barking that made Hermione suspect he was laughing at the comment.

"You can't keep them locked up any longer Alastor or their going to start hexing everyone" Molly told him sternly seeing the expressions on the teenage faces.

"And they'll probably start with you Mad-Eye" Tonks called out.

Moody made a low growling noise.

"Fine, but we go in pairs. Each of you will be assigned a guardian which you are not under any circumstances to lose sight of. The rest of us will be spread out about the place keeping an eye on things. If anyone sees anything suspicious report it, duel it or get the hell out of there… Tonks, you're with Ginny. Remus, you and Sirius will both guard Harry. Bill, you'll be with Ron. Arthur, you and Molly get whatever you need."

Hermione felt dread pool in her stomach before Mad-Eye even uttered who she would be paired with.

"Hermione, you'll be paired with Snape, Minerva you stay close to them too, just in case." He said before going on to issue orders that Kingsley and Mundungus would be accompanying Fred and George to their shop and that he and the rest of the group would be fanned out around the Alley on watch.

"Right, there will be no going off to the bathroom or browsing idly. You have lists. You will buy what is on those lists and anything else you see in easy access that you forgot you need or want. You will get everything you need from each store before exiting. Everyone is to meet back here by no later than two sharp… In the event that something goes wrong, which is likely, you are to stick with your charge at all costs and get them out of the Alley safely. Those of you needing to visit Gringotts will go there first and Apparate directly outside the bank. The rest will go to whichever store they mean to visit of the most importance."

With those instructions, everyone began exiting the house. Snape glared down his nose at her when she moved over to stand next to him and await the signal from Mad-Eye for them to exit the house. Harry was to go last since he was in the most danger.

"Do you need to visit Gringotts Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked her. Hermione shook her head, hefting a large purse filled with wizarding money that she'd had Fleur exchange for muggle money she'd withdrawn from an ATM the last time she'd been permitted to leave the house.

"Very well, what is your most important store to visit?"

"_Flourish and Blotts_" Hermione replied, ignoring the derisive snort that escaped Snape. "Then _Obscurus Books_, _Madam Malkin's_, _Potage's Cauldron Shop_, _Slug and Jigger's Apothecary_, _Scribbulus Writing Instruments_ and _Wiseacre's Equipment._ And that will be everything."

She pretended not to notice Snape rolling his eyes at her methodical planning.

"You're next" Mad-Eye informed them as he stomped by.

"Shall I?" Snape offered sounding particularly sarcastic as he offered both Hermione and Minerva an arm each, indicating that he would Side-Along-Apparate them all.

McGonagall looked dubious but Hermione didn't argue, grabbing his forearm firmly and holding her breath as she waiting for the nauseating jerk behind her navel.

* * *

><p>Severus smirked when the insolent girl groaned at what he had no doubt would be an awful sickening roil inside her stomach as they landed in Diagon Alley.<p>

McGonagall swatted his arm angrily "You did that on purpose" she growled at him.

She was right, he had, which she well knew as he'd Apparated her places before. Normally he was able to apparate with ease and such smoothness that one rarely felt sick, but he had been purposely jerky and violent when he Apparated with the Granger girl, to ensure she was uncomfortable. She would know next time to refrain from lecturing him, stealing his wand and hitting him.

He was still seething about it as she covered her mouth and stumbled into the book shop. Scowling at his task, Severus followed her while McGonagall took up a post outside the store to keep any riff-raff from entering if the need arose.

She did not speak to him as she perused the aisles and shelves of books hurriedly, though he towered over her every time she pulled something off the shelf or stood still. She glanced at him a few times and Severus found himself becoming more and more irritated at her. She clutched a large basket and it was already overflowing with books though he knew that she'd so far only picked up one text that was actually on the assigned list for her classes for the year.

He scowled at the many colourful titles. She seemed to be collecting, not all of them entirely reasonable and it bothered him when he found himself wondering what she could possible want with dull texts like _Practical Household Magic_ and _Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions_. And he only grew more perplexed when she continued picking up other titles such as _Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks_, _A Children's Anthology to Monsters_, and then a particularly disturbing text called _The Maw of Madness._

When she added a text called _The Magical Mind: Are You Losing Yours?_ To her basket Snape couldn't stay silent any longer. She didn't object when he picked up the _Maw of Madness_ text from within her heavy basket.

"What is this rubbish you're reading, Miss Granger?"

Before she could reply, an eerie sounding screech like that of a banshee echoing up from the bottom of a well issued from the book he'd just opened, causing several people to glance in their direction in concern.

"It's not rubbish" Granger retorted "It's interesting. Shut it, would you?"

At first he glared thinking the impertinent swot was telling him to be silent but realised quickly that she meant the book when she lost patience and snatched it back from him, closing it with a resounding snap. Severus watched, growing entirely perplexed when she proceeded to pick up a copy of _Dragon Breeding for Pleasure & Profit,_ followed by an _Encyclopaedia of Toadstools, _an _Ingredient Encyclopaedia, The Dark Arts Outsmarted_, and _Moste Potente Potions._

"That book is on the Restricted list" he sneered when he saw what she was holding.

"I never said I was taking it with me to Hogwarts" She replied airily. She was silent again for a while and he grew impatient with watching her scan the shelves, especially since they were in the Potions sections.

"I'm sorry, you know?" She said not long after he'd buried his nose in an advanced text on the hardest potions in the world to brew. He already had a copy, but he needed to pick up a few ingredients for the latest one he wanted to try.

Jerking his head up, he eyed her coldly.

"For slapping you" She clarified while he noticed that she'd added a second potions text to her collection, this one even more sinister than the last called _Sinistrum Assyrer._ "You were out of control and Sirius was only going to goad you further. I didn't think you'd appreciate being Stunned or worse, and the others were all more than willing to gang up on you."

Severus didn't comment. Only one other person had ever slapped him across the face like that when he'd lost his temper. No one else ever dared to come so close to him, ever, let alone when he was incensed. Yet she had. He grit his teeth at the strange heat that threatened to consume him as it had done when she'd slapped him and tried to ignore the fact that his mind suddenly presented him with an image of her that morning in her too small tank-top that he'd been able to see down while she glared up at him fiercely, lecturing him as though she were the teacher and he, the student.

He was less than pleased by the turn his thoughts had taken the previous night regarding the curly-haired young witch, suddenly recognising her as a desirable female rather than a non-sexual entity. Severus Snape was not one for idle fantasy and he most certainly was not one for noticing students as being desirable.

_Lies, Severus_ his conscience whispered to him when she turned away from him and his eyes involuntarily slid down her distinctly female form to linger on her pert behind, ensconced in that pair of too-tight muggle jeans. Idly, he wondered if she was undergoing some kind of growth spurt that had rendered all of her belongings too small. Her towel last night, her shirt this morning and now her jeans. He concluded that it must be so, unless she was purposely purchasing items of clothing that way – which would be highly out of character – in some attempt to gain the attention of a particular boy she might possibly fancy.

He grew concerned at the flare of emotion that felt suspiciously like jealousy at the idea of her dressing so for a male student. Weasley, perhaps?

Squashing down his disturbing emotions and Occluding them away, Severus followed her, noticing that she had strolled away to the end of the aisle where she picked up yet another non-assigned text. This one called _The Darker Side of Potion Making._ He frowned at that. All of the potions texts she had picked up were less that savoury, save for the _Magical Drafts & Potions_ text, and all were books he owned himself.

"Your interest in potions is less than honourable Miss Granger" he informed her.

"Only if my intent to learn about them is for dishonourable ventures" She rebutted and Severus found that he was surprised be her quick wit. His shock must have shown on his face because she smirked at him in an uncanny replication of Draco Malfoy's favourite expression before she disappeared around the end of the row.

He watched her pick up several more books, though most of the remaining additions to her basket were texts on her assigned reading list for her classes in the coming year. When she reached the pay-station he silently counted out the number of books she was purchasing and his eye twitched when he counted twenty-seven texts. It ought to have bothered him that she was such a know-it-all that she would purchase so many strange and varied texts, and yet instead he found himself mildly amused as he realised that she was probably one of the few people to ever rival him regarding a personal book collection.

She handed over the required money to the harried sales assistant who was fighting with students about the texts required since Hagrid had clearly seen fit to assign a book called _The Even More Monstrous Book of Monsters_ that surpassed the old text in ferocity. Snape noticed that the assistant looked somewhat grateful to be serving a customer that didn't require he risk life and limb by approaching the cage of fighting books.

If anyone noticed that Hermione Granger was being escorted around the shop by the looming Potions Master they didn't comment and when Snape followed her back out the door, watching her hoist the massive bag of books up before shrinking the package and slipping it into her pocket, he caught McGonagall's eyes and rolled his own.

"You can't actually mean to purchase more books?" he snapped, growing bored in a hurry when the young witch made for the second and far more obscure bookshop offered in Diagon Alley.

"_Flourish and Blotts_ didn't have everything on my list" She replied innocently and Snape snarled under his breath about book-hogging know-it-alls even as he followed her into the shop and watched her seek out three additional books that only sought to perplex him further. She bought one on Norse mythology, another pertaining to outlandish and highly dangerous Apothecary ingredients, most of which were not to be found outside of Knockturn Alley or by less than conventional means.

When she finally seized the last book on her long list, Severus felt a strange, chilling sort of tingle flush through him. It was called _The Deepest Darkness_ and depicted a glowing image of a Patronus in the shape of a faceless woman falling into pure blackness. A sense of foreboding seized him, icy fingers trailing down his spine when she opened it and he saw instructions on some of the darkest spells he'd ever heard of or read about. Snape grew concerned when he realised that he routinely spent time in the presence of the Dark Lord and yet felt more dread consume him as he watched Hermione Granger purchase such a book, than he ever had in the presence of the Dark Lord and the brethren of Death Eaters.

"What do you mean to do with this?" he demanded, snatching up the text from her grip though she clutched it tightly.

"Miss Granger?" he demanded when she avoided his gaze.

"Nothing. I was reading another book and it referred me to this one" she told him sullenly.

"This is very Dark magic" He told her, his voice a low hiss as he stepped closer to her, imposing on her personal space.

"I gathered as much from the title" She replied drily and Severus felt his lip curl in displeasure at having her back-talk him so sarcastically.

"Darker than anything I ever delved into, even during my days as a Death Eater" He snapped "What are you doing with it?"

"Studying it" she replied.

"I hope you don't mean to tell me you are delving into the Dark Arts, Miss Granger" Severus warned dangerously.

"Of course not! But that doesn't mean it's wrong of me to know how to counter some of the things in this kind of book and how to contain or reverse the magic should someone use it against me or my friends." She told him, clearly unsettled by the idea of associating with the Dark Arts.

"If I find that you are delving into the Dark Arts" He threatened softly, watching fear and outrage dancing in her cinnamon eyes "I will personally see to it that you regret it Miss Granger."

"Yes, sir."

She nodded and when he handed the book back to her, lowered her gaze to her feet before shuffling over to the desk to purchase the books. Severus eyed the shabby looking wizard with brown, broken teeth distastefully and when he caught the man leering at Hermione lustfully, he felt the strangest urge to hex him. The urge was so strong in fact, that as they exited the shop, Severus non-verbally and wandlessly jinxed the shopkeeper.

For the rest of the trip, he paid close attention to purchases Granger made, his brows knitting together in irritation when she purchased regular things, every now and then throwing in some strange and more sinister instrument or ingredient that ought not to belong in the Apothecary of a seventh year witch and Severus resolved to keep a closer eye on her in future.

Just as they were gathering to leave the alley, Severus stopped short. He'd been following behind Granger as they made their way back down the alley to notify the others that they would be leaving, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and then took the two steps back that brought her into direct contact with him.

Growling as he walked into her and having to catch her around the waist to keep her from falling forwards, Severus heard her murmur.

"Professor?" it was suspicious and slightly fearful and at first he assumed she was fearful to have him touch her. But when she caught hold of his wrists that held her hips and pressed back against him even harder, he followed her gaze. His lip curled back in a sneer.

Mad-Eye had been right. It seemed the Dark Lord had grown bold, or was just fond of creating chaos because just ahead, pouring out of the mouth of Knockturn Alley were several known Death Eaters.

He recognised Bellatrix, Greyback and Yaxley among others. Already they were creating chaos, and screams erupted all around the Alley when Bellatrix aimed her wand and began to Crucio a girl of no more than twelve.

"Get her out of here Snape!" McGonagall shouted at him as she charged past, the other Order members already converging on the Death Eaters and beginning to duel them. Severus was more than happy to oblige, not wishing to bring the wrath of the Dark Lord down upon himself by openly engaging his fellow Death Eaters in the middle of a crowded street.

However just before he could apparate the girl pressed against his torso away from the alley, she jerked his hands away from her and raced towards the Death Eaters spilling out of Knockturn Alley. Severus cursed, rushing after her.

He reached her in time to see her engage in a duel against Travers, and he was snarling so much at her insolence that he almost missed the curse that fell from her lips. Travers was not so lucky, distracted by the converging Order members; Severus watched in fascinated horror as the man was struck by a Dark curse the shade of fresh blood. He screamed, falling to the ground and writhing in pain as every bone in his body began snapping and breaking. Over the chaos Severus heard the sickening squelch as each bone broke in a compound fracture, the jagged edges of bone stabbing through his skin.

Cursing foully, Snape reached Granger and wrapped his arms bodily around her, turning on the spot and Apparating them both away from the scene as he'd been bid.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" He roared when they landed in a quiet park just outside of Brighton, furious with the girl. In part it was due to the fact that she had disobeyed direct orders not to get involved should anything happen, combined with irritation, knowing he would be blamed for the curse used on Travers since the Dark Lord was unlikely to believe anyone else in the Order capable of or even aware of such a curse. He was outraged too that she even knew of the curse and held the power, intent and capability to perform it so effectively.

"He crucioed that woman and was going for her son" Granger shrugged at him unrepentantly.

"And you didn't think it would be better to Stun him and leave him to be captured by the Aurors?" Snape demanded, advancing on her menacingly.

"Now he'll never do it again" She replied defensively "And there's no chance he'll get away because he's screaming so much and in so much pain that if any of the others try to Apparate him Side-Along, they'll both get splinched."

If he wasn't so concerned to know that Hermione Granger – goody-two-shoes, know-it-all, golden-girl, Gryffindor, brains-of-the-Golden-Trio – had been capable of such Dark magic, he'd have been impressed by the Slytherin-esk tone of her actions. In fact as he stared at her, still uncomfortably aware of her new-found status as a desirable witch, Severus found that his body most certainly approved of such ruthlessness used against his former comrades.

He'd been arguing with Dumbledore for years that the best way to fight against the Death Eaters was by turning the Dark spells on them, rendering them just as incapacitated and fearful as the Order. His case always fell on deaf ears as Dumbledore argued that the seduction of the Dark was too tempting to risk and too deplorable besides.

"It would seem" He began, staring down at her "That you have already been delving into the Dark Arts, Miss Granger."

She stared back up at him defiantly and Severus found that he rather liked towering over her when she refused to be cowed by him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A big thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. You guys are awesome, I love knowing you want more and are enjoying it. Tell me what you think. Am I doing justice to Snape's intricate and deep personality? If anyone has advice/ideas of how to make him seem more Snape-ish please let me know because I want to get him perfect. Pretty please leave a review and let me know. Much Love. xx-Kitten**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

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><p>The day's events called for another urgent Order meeting and Hermione was surprised when she was not questioned on her use of the Dark spell. Just as she made to leave after giving over what little information she had, she caught Snape glaring at her, silently shaking his head just enough for her to see and she understood that her silent question was answered.<p>

She wasn't to tell anyone that she had cursed Travers, who had been subsequently caught and healed enough to be tried and sent to Azkaban awaiting full sentencing and further questioning by the Order and the Ministry. It didn't take a genius to realise that Snape must have lied and said he had been the one to cast the spell. Hermione was grateful, since she hadn't at all appreciated the way he had eyed her so strangely at her use of the curse and defence of her actions. She certainly didn't fancy the idea of trying to justify them to Harry or Ron or anyone else in the Order.

As she lay in her bed that night thinking about the events of the day, Hermione found herself focusing not on the attack, but on the shopping and interaction she'd had with Severus Snape in an environment outside of a classroom. She smirked at her dark ceiling recalling the way he'd kept trying to hurry her along by towering over her from an uncomfortably close proximity.

Previously she might've allowed such an act to affect her, but Hermione had instead found it mildly amusing. Especially when she'd caught the flickers of curiosity in those fathomless black eyes as she plucked book after book off the shelves, adding them to her collection. The more she thought about it, the more Hermione began to suspect she might in fact be going barmy.

She had thought perhaps that her actions and imaginings about the professor the previous night when he had caught her in her bath towel and eyed her with something akin to lustful approval, had been the result of being cooped up in Headquarters for far too long.

After all, there was only so many times she could watch Harry and Ron play chess, and catch Harry and Ginny snogging, and re-read the same books again before she was going to go round the twist. Yet the outing had been fraught with excitement and danger, and still she found herself contemplating Severus Snape. He most definitely had done something to his teeth and hair to make them more appealing, and while he was still menacing, rude, and prickly Hermione found that she rather enjoyed having him around. When he'd shadowed her at Diagon Alley, he'd done so in almost complete silence, something Hermione appreciated, especially when she was in book stores.

He'd shown concern over some of her choices, giving away that he perhaps did actually care for her well-being when he'd threatened her about books on Dark magic. Yet he hadn't groaned or complained when he grew bored of tailing her, nor whinged the way Harry and Ron were prone to when she was in a bookshop. Hermione rolled her eyes at herself when her conscience suggested that perhaps as prickly, anti-social and out-right rude as Severus Snape was,_ his_ personality type was more suited to hers than those of her actual friends.

She kind of hated herself when she recalled the way his hands had gripped her hips in the Alley when he collided with her and felt a shiver run over her.

All summer Hermione had been increasingly agitated and more aware of things sexually. Like last night after she'd waxed her legs as she swiped moisturiser over her skin she'd noticed how soft it was and had shivered at the caress. Like last week when she sat on one of the lumpier couches in the Black family library and had felt strange, sparking shocks of electricity travel through her when she wiggled on the cushions, causing the lumpy seat to rub sensuously against the tingling flesh between her legs.

To her growing disquiet, Hermione was still a virgin. Something Ginny had seen fit to tease her about a few weeks ago when she and Harry had taken things to the next level late one night. It bothered her and Hermione had begun to find oddest things sexual. Like when Sirius sometimes hugged her in fits of exuberance, she was very much aware of the solid, warm flesh of his body pressed against hers. She also noticed the way her nipples tightened whenever she shifted and the fabric of her bra slid across them tantalizingly.

As she lay there thinking about it, Hermione felt a peculiar warmth between her legs recalling the firm, almost biting caress of Snape's long, bony fingers against her hips through her jeans. Biting her lip and deciding that silly imaginings were harmless enough, Hermione slipped her hand beneath the waist band of her knickers, brushing her fingers over the throbbing flesh between her legs.

As she thought about it, Hermione recalled the way she had stepped back until her back was pressed flush against his long, lean torso. As he'd moved, she'd been able to feel the wiry build of his rail-thin body that belied tough, sinewy strength. She'd also been able to feel the soft yet firm bulge of his groin against her buttocks and Hermione bit her lip, sliding one finger through her throbbing flesh as she imagined rubbing her bottom against that bulge until it grew hard.

Titillated at the idea of arousing such a stand-offish man, Hermione slipped one finger inside her folds, dipping into the long, tight passage and hissed in a breath at the penetration. Subconsciously she knew it was positively barmy to be thinking about Snape in any way that was sexual, and yet as she curled her finger inside herself, Hermione began to imagine that instead of her own fingers, it was his long, dexterous digits penetrating her so sinfully.

She felt a rush of pleasure at the forbidden-ness of the fantasy and as she began to pump her finger inside of herself, Hermione felt it like it was Snape touching her instead. She bit her lip at the feel of his firm, skilled finger inside of her, finding the spongy flesh of her g-spot and working it mercilessly. She moaned as she imagined him looming over her, peering at her with some sarcastic sneer as he brought her undone around his fingers.

Merlin it felt good.

The cool air of the room flushed across her heated flesh and Hermione whimpered, imagining his huff of satisfaction at her coming apart so easily. She hissed as she added a finger inside her tight well, wet enough that both digits sank with glorious ease into her depths and nudged at new and exciting places. She could almost feel his body coiled against hers, pinning her down, merciless in his administration of pleasure upon her, bringing her to new heights with each thrust and Hermione bit her lip on the loud groan that escaped her as she used her free hand to cup her breast, pinching and squeezing the stiffened nipple in time with her thrusts and imagining the clever fingers of the potions master on her skin.

"Are you incapable of resisting such mild pleasure?" She heard his low, baritone-voice murmur to her somewhat scornfully and Hermione shook her head, her eyes closed against the crescendo of pleasure she could feel building within herself. Merlin she'd never thought of anyone as having a sexy voice before but as she imagined his voice inside her mind, talking dirty to her while he touched her…

"Are you so insufferably starved for attention that you must resort to attempting to seduce me?" his voice growled in her mind and Hermione whimpered as she imagined he would be both disapproving yet intrigued by her. The fingers inside her slick pussy pumped faster, nudging harder against her sensitive walls and Hermione whimpered, imagining the way Severus Snape would smile that cruel smile of his at her utter lack of control regarding her reactions.

Tugging on her own nipple Hermione ground her thumb against her own clit, imagining the way Snape had come so close to her in the stores, the way it had felt to have her body pressed flush against his.

"Come now, Miss Granger" Hermione heard his voice begin in her mind and like the goody-two-shoes, teacher's-pet she was always accused of being, Hermione did exactly what she was told. She cried out throatily as the tension building inside her snapped, her silken passage clamping around her fingers, pulsing and spasming, growing impossibly wetter while her system was flooded with endorphins that made her feel gloriously alive.

Even as she withdrew her fingers, murmuring cleaning spells, Hermione felt a slow sated smile curl across her face and she relaxed back against her pillows feeling better than she had in weeks.

* * *

><p>Severus hissed in a pained breath through his gritted teeth as he apparated onto the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place, cursing the fact that so much balance was required to land right on the dilapidated step and not stumble. His whole body ached and beneath his robes blood seeped from raw open wounds. Were he a weaker man, he'd have already curled into the foetal position in some dark room to die in peace.<p>

He had paid dearly at the hands of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters for what Granger had done to Travers. Admittedly he had paid the price rather than uttering the truth that it had been she to attack with such a vicious and unforgiving curse, seeking to protect the witch from garnering any more interest from the Dark Lord than was already drawn to her via her close friendship with Potter and her insufferable know-it-all ways.

He grit his teeth harder as he lifted his broken arm to turn the doorknob and let himself into the last place he wanted to be when so gravely injured and vulnerably weak. The idea that he might run into Black – who would no doubt be gleeful to see him in such pain and would offer some notion of mercy by doing them all a favour of putting him out of his misery permanently – or Potter - who would no doubt gape like a fish out of water to see him as anything other than villainous - was one that turned his already roiling stomach.

Unfortunately he had no other option. Dumbledore was travelling again, searching out a means to rid the world of the Dark Lord for good and there were few others who possessed the knowledge and potion ingredients that would be called for to heal him from his latest punishment at the hands of his suspicious brethren. Ordinarily Albus would offer him relief from his wounds or Severus would simply heal himself. He was no stranger to being utterly alone even when sick and injured.

However, ordinary circumstances were not to be met this evening. It seemed that in retribution, Bellatrix had whispered in the Dark Lord's ears, suggesting Severus himself ought to know a fraction of the pain he'd caused Travers and so she, Rodolphus, Rabastan and several others had seen to it to teach him what happened to 'traitors'. They had done quite a number on him and he was suffering two broken arms and a broken foot, not to mention his back and arms bore open red wounds where Bellatrix had whipped him using a particularly nasty curse that ensured he would not heal unless someone knew the counter curse.

With Dumbledore occupied and Severus himself currently incapacitated and unable to heal himself, he had resorted to seeking out the only other person he was currently aware of who would not seek to take advantage of his weakened state to exact any kind of promises or retribution from him. The idea that he had turned to Hermione Granger, insufferable little bint and the reason he was currently in so much pain, was one that made his lip curl with distaste, however there was nothing to be done for it.

As he limped into the hallway of Headquarters, Severus spared a moment to be thankful for the fact that the Dark Lord had kept him late into the night and so the house was silent and empty, everyone else asleep in their beds upstairs. He fought the urge to vomit when he came to the bottom of the stairs. The idea of climbing them rendered him utterly despairing but Severus was no stranger to pushing through pain to achieve his goal.

And his current goal was the first floor landing, right hand side bedroom where Miss Granger had been residing for the summer. If he wasn't in so much pain and clenching his stomach against the urge to vomit – which subsequently doubled his pain thanks to the lashing he'd been giving and the open wounds seeping blood – Severus might've taken a moment to be thankful for the fact that Miss Granger no longer shared a bedroom with Miss Weasley every time she stayed at Headquarters.

Each step was utter agony, and his leg ached from the strength it took to balance on one foot, trying to keep the weight off his broken bones. Each upwards jarring hop jostled his broken arms and Severus couldn't hold back his groan of misery. When he finally reached the landing outside her door, Severus stopped for several moments to catch his breath and fight off the nausea before torturously reached for the handle to her door with his broken arm.

He snarled several profanities when he found it to be locked and gulped hard against the idea of expending anymore energy, the likes of which was necessary to wandlessly unlock the door. His head spun with wooziness when the door clicked open and he limped into the dimly lit room. She seemed to have fallen asleep reading because a candle burned low in a bowl on her desk, flickering at the disturbance he'd caused by stirring the air with his movements.

She lay on her back in her bed, propped up somewhat by several pillows, her chin resting on her chest and an open book pressed face-down on the covers as though she'd literally nodded off whilst reading. He scowled a little more when he noticed she was currently reading the text he had prescribed for their upcoming year of classes.

"Miss Granger?" He managed, his voice hoarse and loud in the silent room.

The sleeping girl did not stir and Severus groaned as he hop-shuffled closer to her.

"Miss Granger!" he tried again, louder this time and hoping no one else in the house would hear him.

She came awake with a gasp and an ungraceful jerk of her body, blinking blearily before staring up at him in apparent terror to find someone suddenly in her room though she'd locked the door.

"Professor?" She gasped, blinking rapidly and sitting up quickly, the book toppling to the floor in her haste.

"Oh my god!" she breathed as she focused on his battered, swollen and bleeding face. "What happened to you?"

"The Death Eaters were less than pleased about what happened to Travers" Severus managed, his voice croaky from the screaming he'd done involuntarily when the Dark Lord had Crucioed him.

"Oh my gosh, you're bleeding terribly. Are both your arms broken?" She asked, slipping out of bed and coming towards him quickly. In spite of himself, Severus flinched at her touch when she reached to steady his swaying form.

"Don't touch" He told her, through gritted teeth "I need you to heal both my arms and my foot."

"Of course! I'm such an idiot!" She said, "Where's my wand?"

Severus gritted his teeth against the fact that she bent over right in front of him, digging under her pillow for her wand. If he wasn't in so much pain that he was likely to literally pass out, he might've taken better advantage of the fact tonight she had abandoned her flannel pyjama bottoms in favour of short-shorts.

"Here is it! Oh gosh, maybe you should sit down, I've never had a bone healed myself, but Harry told me it hurts" She said, waving him towards he bed. Severus glanced at the second bed in the room, not entirely comfortable by the idea of even sitting down on the bed of one of his students, especially one the witch had just vacated. The other bed was covered in stacks of books and discarded clothing and Severus scowled a little to learn that she was so messy.

"I'll get blood on your…" he began, nodding at her bed and he noticed the way her eyes had already travelled to the fact that beneath his torn black robe his white undershirt was drenched and stained dark with blood. So much so that it was dripping onto the floor like poorly wrung out laundry.

"Cast a silence charm on the room" he instructed as she lifted her wand preparing to heal him. She bit her lip and nodded, waving the wand and casting the spells to make sure no one else would waken.

He groaned at the pain as she healed both his arms and then his aching foot. The feel of the bones snapping back into place and rapidly reknitting was not a pleasant one, it began with searing pain that dulled to an ache and finally ended as an internal itching he could do nothing about.

"Thank you" He breathed, weak from the blood loss and aware of the fact that if she didn't work fast he was likely to die on her floor.

"Where are you bleeding from?" She asked him, coming closer and catching him when he swayed forward, in danger of collapsing.

"Everywhere" he murmured to her, noticing with his face so close to her hair that she smelled of jasmine and vanilla. "Used a Devil's Torment curse…. Need the counter curse before I bleed to death…"

"Oh bollocks," she cursed as he lost the ability to stand on his own. She waved her wand quickly, clearing the mess from the spare bed in the room and helped him to sit on the edge of it.

"You need to get these off" she commanded, tugging his cloak from his shoulders, before her fingers made short work of the many buttons of his black robe.

"Need the counter curse…." He told her.

"I know it but I can't administer it when your wounds are covered" She told him and Severus groaned softly as she tugged his robes off his shoulders too. He heard her gasp at the sight of his white undershirt literally dripping with blood.

"Oh sod it all, you need to get that off while I find a Blood Replenishment potion" she told him. She turned and began digging through her belongings, the sound of clinking potions phials rattling in his ears. Feebly, Severus tried to do as she'd instructed but as he pulled on the hem of his shirt, every open wound burned like he'd been run through with a flaming sword.

He almost fainted at that, and it was only strength of will that kept him from losing consciousness as she rushed back to his side.

"Drink this" She demanded of him. Severus snarled when she took hold of his chin and tipped his head back while his mouth opened. He coughed when she poured the foul tasting potion into his mouth and ran one long finger down the length of his throat, forcing him to swallow it.

"I thought I told you I needed to get at the wounds?" She grumbled when he snatched the phial from her before she could pour a second potion into him. She didn't wait for him to reply or listen to his pained protests when she seized the hem of his undershirt and pulled it off over his head in one smooth, almost-practiced motion.

"Oh my gosh… Professor" she murmured in sympathy when she caught sight of the hundreds of gaping wounds littering his shoulders arms, torso and back.

The counter-curse hurt almost as much as the offensive curse and Severus hissed in agony as she began muttering the incantations, healing him with her wand as she went in what limited way she was able, given the nature of the curse. He grit his teeth against the pain while she staunched the bleeding of the wounds on his arms and shoulders, and snarled profanities at her as she began on those littering his chest and stomach. There was a particularly painful one that ran across his stomach and below the waistband of his trousers and Severus snarled at her like a wounded animal when she hesitantly tugged the torn material open, her prying fingers brushing over the sensitive flesh at his pelvic bone.

He caught the way her cheeks darkened at her own actions, but she didn't stop muttering the counter-curse and healing his skin enough to seal the top layer of flesh and stem the bleeding.

"You need to drink more of that potion" She nudged even as she knelt in front of him between his legs, her hands skimming over his thighs and down his legs in search of more wounds.

He became concerned to learn that even in as much pain as he was, his body still reacted to being touched by such delicate feminine hands. At least, it did until she uncovered another wound gaping open on his shin, revealing the bone beneath the masticated flesh. She tried to be gentle as she pushed up the leg of his trousers, but Severus couldn't control the snarl of pain that exploded from him as the fabric scratched across the exposed nerves and he was surprised when he found his fist suddenly clenched tightly in her long hair.

"I know it hurts" She whispered "I'm sorry…. This is all my fault."

He found himself intrigued by the fact that she didn't complain about or even mention his no doubt painful grip on her mane of hair.

"Professor… you need to drink that" She nodded, pausing as she looked up at him from where she knelt between his legs, having finally healed the wounds on his front half at the very least.

"You're not going to tell anyone about this" He said, his voice still hoarse but stronger now with the Blood Replenishment potions already working inside him.

"But you need a proper healer, I can't fix all these" She protested despairingly "I can only seal them. There is a lot of damage and I haven't even started on what's been done to your face. I think your nose is broken, and you're literally covered in blood. How are you going to explain that in the morning?"

"What 'in the morning?" Severus demanded "When you are finished, I am going home."

"No you're not" She argued with him "If you go home and don't let anyone take care of you, you're going to scar terribly, and you need more Blood Replenishment potions. If you don't drink that one right now I'm going to pour it down your neck like I did with the last one" She threatened bossily and Severus curled his lip at her, noticing the way the blood that had dried and crusted over his lips and chin cracked painfully at the movement.

"You can't see it, but beneath the blood there are plenty of scars like these" he told her coldly, well aware of the fact that a hundred more wouldn't really make that much of a difference. Especially given that his entire back was actually made up of scar tissue anyway.

"Well you're not going to have any more if I can help it and since you're currently wounded and weak, I say you're not leaving until you're healed," She said contrarily.

"I am still your teacher, do not back-talk me" He growled at her, his temper flaring at the idea of anyone thinking they could take advantage of him in his weakened state.

"Right now, you're my patient and you're a grumpy, uncooperative one! Drink it right now!" Severus scowled at her defiantly.

She lost her temper with him and he cursed foully when she snatched the potion right out of his hands just the same way she'd snatched his wand that very morning before grabbing his chin and digging her thumb between his lips when he tried to clench his jaw closed to keep from drinking the awful tasting stuff.

"Ouch!" she cried out when he bit her while she tried to pry his teeth apart. She'd succeeded and Severus choked on the foul potion as he was forced to swallow, watching her waving her thumb around like a nitwit as though that would help with the pain. He raised his eyebrows when she proceeded to put the offending digit into her mouth, sucking it whilst glaring at him.

He wondered idly if she realised that the thumb she sucked had just been in his mouth and was now in hers, though she hadn't paused to wipe his saliva off first.

"Do not do that again" Severus snarled at her.

"You're like a wounded animal" She accused "Snarling and angry and more than ready to bite because you won't do what's good for you!"

She didn't take her thumb out of her mouth as she spoke and Severus hated himself for the fact that his intrigue grew watching her suckle the digit soothingly.

"You're an insolent child who should know better than to tangle with beasts bigger, meaner and stronger than you" Severus retorted.

"I can let you keep bleeding out and die if you'd prefer!" She snapped, and Severus noticed suddenly that though she'd risen up higher on her knees to fight with him to drink the potion, she was still kneeling and that his hand was still tangled in her hair.

For just a fleeting moment he felt the strangest desire to use his grip on her to crush her mouth to his and show her just how much like an animal he truly was.

His eyes flashed at her dangerously and he sort of liked the way she didn't flinch or cower away from his furious gaze, her own cinnamon eyes glittering with annoyance.

"Let go of my hair and lay down" She commanded "I need to heal your back or those potions are just going to bleed right back out of you."

She got to her feet even as she slowly slid his hand out of her hair, noticing that though it was often frizzy, it was silky rather than coarse. As she did she waved her wand in his face and Severus groaned as he felt his nose crack back into place, fresh blood flowing down over his lips and dripping off his chin. He scowled at her ungratefully when she reached over and handed him a clean handkerchief to stem the blood flow.

Muttering profanities under his breath when she crossed her arms and glared down at him, tapping her toe impatiently, Severus did as he was told, stretching out face down on the bed and revealing his back to her. It didn't hurt nearly as much as his other wounds had since the skin back there was tough with built up scar tissue, but it still stung and ached uncomfortably, prickles of pain racing through him.

As he did so, Severus felt his head spin dizzily and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"What did you give me?" he snarled, feeling his body grow heavy even as his vision began to haze over.

"I mixed a Sleeping Draught into the Blood Replenishment potion while you weren't looking" she admitted unrepentantly "Your back is a mess, and I knew you'd try to leave when I healed you. You need rest."

Severus felt her voice growing further and further away as unconsciousness called for him.

"You're going to pay for all your insolence today Miss Granger" he warned her groggily.

"Snarl at me about it tomorrow" She replied, smirking wickedly. As Severus lost consciousness he found that as angry as he was with her for managing to trick him, he sort of enjoyed the way she ruthlessly defied him and disrespected his authority as her teacher.

* * *

><p>When Hermione finally finished healing Snape's back she was exhausted. It took a lot of mental energy to heal such extensive and evil wounds and whether he believed it or not it was going to take a while for him to recover from them.<p>

She eyed him were he lay sprawled across the spare bed of her bedroom. His sallow skin was crusted with dried blood and she realised that if she wanted to check for any other injuries she was going to have to clean it off first. Sighing and knowing what an ungrateful git he was going to be when he woke up, Hermione gathered up his blood stained clothes and crept through the house to the laundry. She rinsed as much blood as she could from his clothes before putting them in the washing machine along with her own blood-stained tank-top, silencing the clanging machine when it began to whine.

She gathered up a wash basin and filled it with some warm water, along with several clean wash cloths and the medical kit Mrs Weasley kept in the kitchen before returning to her room. As she stared down at the Potions master, Hermione felt guilt needle her uncomfortably. It was entirely her fault that this had been done to him. The Death Eaters clearly believed he'd betrayed Travers when she'd cursed him and Snape had taken the blame not just among the Order but also among the Death Eaters.

It seemed strange to her to see the usually imposing wizard sprawled out on the bed asleep and vulnerable and she marvelled at the fact that she was one of what she expected must be a very small number of people to have ever seen him partially undressed. It fascinated her and as she knelt by the bed, washing the blood from his skin with the wet cloth, Hermione pondered the fact that she seemed to be developing an attraction to the man. A disturbing and entirely inappropriate attraction to him that made her want to run her fingers over the many scars she unearthed beneath the blood smears.

He'd been right, there were many of them. Hermione let her gaze linger on some of them, recognising that many of them were scars the likes of which were left behind by dark magic. It was evident to her that Severus Snape had led a very hard life and if the number and quality of the scars were any indication, he also led a very lonely life. She unearthed several scars that looked like he had attempted to heal them himself due to the fact that they were roughly done. Hermione could tell that the pain each wound must have caused must have not affected him very much since he had so many. Surely a wizard in pain would work hard to ensure his wounds healed quickly to ease the pain, thereby leaving fewer scars.

Beneath the blood and scars on his skin, Hermione noticed too the wiry strength of his muscles. They were understated – so much so that he sometimes looked scrawny – and yet on closer inspection Hermione realised that though he was not built like some of the roided-up muggle boys or strapping Quidditch players she'd seen in her years, he was very strong physically. There was strength in those wiry ropes of muscles and a power that surprised her. Even as he lay there asleep and gravely wounded, there was a quality to his body that suggested lethal grace and changed her perspective of the man greatly.

Like the snake she had compared him too that morning, Hermione realised that though his body was as long and lean as the animal, the strength in his muscles reminded her not of a cobra or a viper, but of a boa constrictor or an anaconda. She suspected that anyone foolish enough to get so close to him would find themselves trapped in the suffocating coils of muscle just the way they would upon encountering either snake. Any that actually managed to get past his wand and fierce nature, that is.

When his back was clean of blood, Hermione levitated him carefully, making sure to first patch bandage and padding over the wounds on his back lest they tear during the night. She lowered him back down on his back, before setting to work on washing the blood from his chest and torso. His stomach was flat and taut with muscle just like the rest of him, his chest somewhat sunken, and his ribs showing through the skin, suggesting that he didn't get enough to eat. His torso too, bore many scars and Hermione fingered one she found above his heart nestled amid the sparse layer of dark chest hair on his body, wondering how he had come by it and who had struck at his heart so maliciously.

When his torso was clean, Hermione admired his form for a moment before focusing on the blood caked on his neck and chin and over his mouth from his broken nose. It had stopped bleeding, but there was a lot of blood on it. She had to vanish and refill the water in her basin three times to clean it all off before she could start on the rest of his face.

_He looks like he's been beaten up_, Hermione thought to herself as she uncovered a split in his bottom lip and a gash across his right eyebrows. His left cheekbone was swollen and bore a nasty bruise that was quickly blackening. She found a second gash by his hairline as well and Hermione sighed, wondering what had been done to him and who had done this, even as she realised that the knowledge would likely give her nightmares.

He stirred in his sleep when she dabbed some healing cream around the bruise on his eyes thanks to his broken nose, before swiping some dittany over the gashes on his face. When she swiped her thumb across his bottom lip carefully to heal the cut there, he made a strange sound like a soft whimper and Hermione wondered if anyone else had even taken the time to help him heal in the past.

It seemed unlikely since she didn't know of anyone anywhere who actually liked or trusted him. As she washed the last traces of blood from his face, Hermione wondered what his life must be like. What would it be like to be entirely alone in the world? To have no one really like her? To be mistrusted and friendless?

The very thought made her heart clench. She tried to imagine her life with Ron and Harry and Ginny. To imagine what it would be like to have Mr and Mrs Weasley and everyone else only tolerate her on Dumbledore's orders. She felt sick at the very idea. What would it be like to have spent possibly her entire life that way? What type of life must Snape lead that he had survived so long without anyone really seeming to like him or care about him.

It was no wonder he was so abrasive and unpleasant. He wore such personality traits like armour, striking out at others and belittling them before they could think to strike out and insult him. Like a dog that had been kicked too many times and so snarled and growled at any who approached and took a bite out of any foolish enough not to heed the growled warning. As Hermione stared down into his sallow face, she realised that she might've compared him to a wounded animal while she'd been trying to heal him, but the truth was that he wasn't just a wounded animal.

Severus Snape was like an abused and unloved pet and it made her heart hurt to think of anyone being that way. It bothered her too that she hadn't seen it sooner and didn't like to think that she herself a taken his grumpy, sarcastic, biting persona at face value and believed him unpleasant and mean. After all, if he had never been shown any kindness or friendship, how could she blame him for the fact that he lacked social skills and ignored social cues that dictated one shouldn't be unnecessarily cruel and nasty to others? Such treatment was all he himself knew and so that was the treatment he turned on others.

As she stared down into his injured face, Hermione vowed to herself that from now on she would be nicer to him. That she would insist upon Harry and Ron and the others not being so thick and judgemental where Snape was concerned. If she could, she was going to show him that while he might not much like her, she could be his friend.

Whether he wanted her to be or not.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Big thanks to all who review, and a special thanks to Bluechocolate21 for being such a wonderfully dedicated fan and always reading and reviewing on all of my stories. I promise to try and update TtT and some of my other stories again soon =). So what did y'all think? Are you loving the regular updates? Am I moving too fast? Are you craving more of Severus and Hermione's deliciously tense snippiness? Because I know I am. More soon ;-) Don't forget to review. Much Love. xx-Kitten.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

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><p>Severus woke to the feel of something warm and soft pressing down on his aching body uncomfortably and his eyes snapped open in confusion. He glared at the ceiling, further perplexed when he didn't recognise the contoured stone roof of his bedchamber at Hogwarts, nor the cracked and peeling paint of his bedroom roof in Spinner's End.<p>

Where was he?

When he moved to try and sit up, Severus became further concerned to learn that whatever was pressing down on him seemed to be alive, because it whimpered in protest at his movements. Glaring at whatever it was and trying to make out some kind of shape in the darkened room, Severus squinted through what appeared to be some kind of cloud.

Lifting both arms quickly, Severus seized hold of whatever it was, jerking it sharply and freezing when it gasped awake.

"Whassamatter?" a sleepy voice slurred at him and Severus scowled into the darkness, his hand searching the bed for his wand. Whoever had been sleeping on him suddenly jerked back, gasping as though horrified.

"Professor?" that familiar voice asked, sounding breathless and horror-stricken.

"Miss Granger" Severus scowled into the darkness, the morning chill nipping at his skin now that her warm body no longer pressed against him, making him aware of the fact that he was currently shirtless. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Oh my gosh" he heard the girl mutter, sounding mortified even as she rolled her body off his and towards the wall in a panic as she realised where she was.

Severus narrowed his eyes on his traitorous body as he became aware of the fact that though he'd been sleeping, his body had clearly approved of the fact that the little witch had been asleep on his chest.

"I'm so sorry Professor" She said, her voice muffled and making him think she must have buried her face in her hands.

"Explain what you think you are doing sleeping on top of me" he demanded of her, sliding his shoulders away from her so he could glare at her where she seemed to be trying to sink herself through the wall.

"Well, you woke me up last night bleeding and…."

"I'm aware of that. Skip to the part where instead of continuing to heal me, you decided it would be wise to fall asleep on top of me." Severus interrupted her.

"After I knocked you out with the Sleeping Draught I healed your back and took your robes and things to the wash because they were covered in blood. I washed the rest of the blood off you and healed the rest of the bruises and cuts and things that I found. After your clothes were clean I dried them and brought them back in here, since you'll need them and I went to sleep in my bed over there, but I woke up when I heard yelling. I think you were having a nightmare…. You were yelling and thrashing and I was worried you'd hurt yourself or tear open your wounds again so I tried to wake you but because of the Sleeping Draught you didn't wake."

"That does not explain why I have woken to you sleeping on my chest Miss Granger" Severus informed her, his temper flaring as he learned that she had been witness one of his nightmares and to his weakness.

"Well since I couldn't wake you, I needed to do something to stop you thrashing and shouting. Then remembered that I used to get night terrors when I was a girl, and my mother would sing to me and run her fingers through my hair and over my face to calm me down…. It seemed to work. I must've fallen asleep before remembering to go back to my bed."

Severus's scowl deepened at the knowledge that she had not only witnessed his weakness, she had sought to calm him. Was it too much to ask of his body to not respond in any way to this witch?

"Do you have no boundaries?" He growled "Are you incapable of controlling yourself? Every time I see you, you are either naked, insolent or utterly foolish. I am your teacher, it is not acceptable for you to be parading around in a towel, snatching my wand and slapping me or throwing yourself at me like some siren!"

"You were the one who broke into my room in the middle of the night and woke me up, _Professor!" _she snarled back at him, clearly taking offence at his accusations. "I would think that as my _Teacher_ you would realise the inappropriateness of such an act given that I am your student and could've been in here naked… Unless of course that's what you wanted. It did not escape my notice the way your knuckles went white around you wand when confronted with the sight of me dressed in a towel!"

"You arrogant little swot!" Snape snapped at her "You believe I have any interest in you that is not entirely professional? That I have any interest in you at all?"

"Why come to me last night to be healed then, _Professor_?" she asked and Severus curled his lip at the sarcastic emphasis she kept putting on his title every time she spoke it, indicating just how little respect she had for his position as her Professor.

"Because you knew how to perform the counter-curse to keep me from bleeding out as I was incapable of performing it myself due to both my arms being broken. Do not look for imagined overtones that are not there Miss Granger. I can assure you that beyond seeking the assistance of a person widely enough read to know how to cure my condition – based on information I gained earlier in the day whilst threatening you regarding texts pertaining to dark magic – I have no interest in you whatsoever and you would do well to remember that you are still a Hogwarts student while I am still your teacher." Severus snapped at her.

"Perhaps it would be wiser then, to show a little gratitude rather than accusing me of being a tart" She replied coldly "Else next time I might be more inclined to let you bleed out on my floor rather than saving your ungrateful neck!"

"You forget to whom you are speaking Miss Granger!" Severus warned her, not liking her sarcastic and superior tone.

"I know exactly whom I'm speaking to _Professor_ Snape… _You _forget that you are speaking to the person responsible for the fact that you are able to wake up at all this morning – me sleeping on your chest, or no!" She replied and Severus felt the need to shake the insolent girl.

She moved as though she meant to crawl over him to retake her feet or perhaps crawl into her own bed and Severus hissed when her legs brushed innocently against his growing erection. Before he could think through the irrationality of his act, Severus seized her arms, flipping them both until she lay on her back beneath him, staring up at him with wide surprised eyes.

"You drugged me" He accused her, noticing the fact that though she was surprised, no fear danced in those warm brown eyes to find herself suddenly very much at his mercy should he choose to entertain the darker side of his nature.

"You were going to do something stupid _and_ being entirely uncooperative. I took action to achieve the necessary goals. Meaning your continued health" She retorted, wriggling slightly as though she was uncomfortable.

When she shifted her hips, pressing herself up against his hardening cock, even if it was unintentional, Severus felt his body roar to life with a resounding echo inside his mind. Such urges had not come upon him in many long years and they surprised him immensely, especially since the little witch didn't seem to realise the effect she was having upon him.

Unless of course, she did realise and was just too embarrassed and disgusted by him to acknowledge the fact that she had just rubbed herself on his erection, just like the wanton siren he'd accused her of being.

* * *

><p>Hermione felt her heart begin to race to find herself suddenly pressed into the mattress beneath the shirtless Professor. His arms caged her head while his torso pressed down on her deliciously and Hermione felt her body begin to tingle and throb with desire.<p>

She had thought that after her ministrations the previous night, she would feel a little less needy and be less prone to finding the strangest things sexual. She'd been wrong. As she lay there pressed beneath Professor Snape, Hermione had to fight the urge to do something foolish like wrapping her legs around his lean hips and pulling that hard bulge she could feel pressing against her sex even closer.

She shifted uncomfortably as she tried not to blush, recalling what she had done last night as she fantasized about the man glaring down at her. Hermione wondered if she imagined it when she heard his breath catch in his throat as she shifted her hips a little, super-aware of the fact that only a few layers of fabric separated her body from his.

"That is twice in one day you physically attacked me, Miss Granger" he warned her and Hermione felt a shiver run through her body at the sound of his deep, hissing voice. The very one she imagined talking dirty to her and commanding her when she'd fingered herself last night.

"Both were for your own good" Hermione replied softly, blushing as she heard the breathlessness of her own voice.

Snape glared down at her in response and Hermione felt her stomach clench at the anger glittering in the dark depths of his eyes as he stared down at her. Her heart was racing and she wondered how he couldn't hear it hammering so loud. Trying to keep control of herself and failing, Hermione wriggled again, her hips bucking against his gently and making her want to forget about all the reasons that such a thing was wrong to even fantasize about Snape.

He was her teacher, for Merlin's sake. He was cruel and entirely unlikeable. He often belittled her and was well known for bullying students. He was almost than twice her age. By all accounts she should not be attracted to him.

But she was.

As Hermione stared back up at him, squirming beneath his weight and yearning to press herself against him, she wondered if the glimmer of heat in his eyes was just her imagination playing tricks on her.

"For my own good perhaps" He said, his voice seeming deeper and even more alluring "But not yours."

"Are you threatening me?" Hermione breathed, hating herself for the fact that her despicable mind filled with all manner of creative suggestions should he decide to punish her.

"Clearly you have limited experience with being threatened" He bit out sarcastically, while Hermione bit her lip on a whimper as her hips rose, pressing into him and sending sparks of sticky desire bubbling through her blood and making the place between her legs ache with need.

"If I were to threaten you, it would sound like this…." He murmured "If you don't stop rubbing yourself against me and squirming like that, I'm going to do something to you that you won't at all like."

Hermione saw him smirk when she whimpered and realised he thought she was whimpering in fear. Her heart hammered in her chest.

"What makes you think I won't like it?" She purred back at him before she could think better of it or stop herself.

Hermione blushed red when she watched his lips quirk up into an entirely predatory smile.

"Bluffing is not your strong suit, Miss Granger" he told her, leaning closer until his face hovered less than an inch above hers, making Hermione want to lean up and close the distance between his lips and hers.

"Whoever said I was bluffing?" Hermione replied breathlessly, noticing that he seemed to be enjoying the way her breath had begun to come faster. He quirked one eyebrow at her and Hermione decided to throw her dignity and all caution to the wind.

She arched her back, pressing her body against the length of his, making sure to sensually rub herself against the erection she could feel grinding against the place between her legs.

"You think that wise?" Snape ground out and Hermione grinned at him wickedly when she realised that she was effecting him and feeling a flush of pleasure to learn that whether he wanted to or not, his body clearly approved of her.

"I think you were the one who was bluffing" Hermione murmured back to him as she worked her body into a rhythm beneath his, rubbing herself against him even more.

"You are playing with fire Miss Granger" Snape warned her and Hermione grinned as she pressed her body up off the bed, brushing her breasts against his chest and feeling his hips twitch against hers.

"Maybe I like the heat" Hermione purred, wondering if she was making a fool of herself and how much she was likely to regret her actions given that she had another year of Hogwarts where she would have to see him on a daily basis, not to mention that she often saw him outside of Hogwarts due to his place within the Order of the Phoenix.

"Maybe you're foolish girl who needs to be taught about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour regarding men, especially men who suffer the misfortune of being your teacher and elder" Snape retorted.

Hermione smirked up at him, still rocking her body against his. She wanted to run her hands over his back and pull him closer, but he'd pinned them to the bed above her head.

"Well you _are_ my teacher" she told him, aching to feel him respond to her.

"Exactly. I am your teacher" He began and Hermione realised he thought she meant the comment to point out that she knew the difference between appropriate and inappropriate, rather than that she was all but begging him to _teach_ her. Stretching in his hold until her body pressed against the length of his, Hermione invaded his personal space as far as his grip on her allowed, his mouth just millimetres from hers and her eyes boring into his hungrily.

"So teach" Hermione challenged him "Unless the lesson you mean to deliver is that you offer empty threats….."

Before she could catch her breath at the way the challenge registered in his eyes, his thin lips crashed down on hers and his hips bucked hard against her just once. The stab of pleasure tore through her and Hermione groaned into his mouth as his tongue swept between her teeth to tangle with hers.

In some distance recess of her mind, Hermione felt her shock register to realise that not only was she snogging a teacher, but he was also snogging her. That same shocked recess screeched about the indignity and impropriety of such an act, and cussed her out for being such a tart. Her internal monologue voice lectured her about how it was wrong to be snogging a teacher, and how twisted it was that she was snogging _Snape,_ of all people.

Hermione found that voice easy to ignore, however, because he was snogging her wildly. His lips were hard on hers, his tongue rough and dominating, making her blood rush lustfully. Hermione felt desire pool in her stomach. He kissed her hard – hard enough that she suspected her lips would be bruised – and his grip on her wrists never loosened, even when Hermione wiggled them, trying to get him to free them so she could pull him closer.

She whimpered needily when he began to pull back from her and Hermione resorted to less than innocent means. Wrapping her legs around his narrow hips, Hermione locked her ankles against the small of his back, pulling him against her harder. Desire pooled below her abdomen and Hermione rocked herself against him harder, feeling his erection grind against her aching quim and wondering how he would react if she were to vanish their clothes.

Hermione could swear she felt him stiffen in surprise before she felt him smirk against her lips as he kissed her even harder and rewarded her with another thrust of his hips. She whimpered with pleasure and delight at the zap of pleasure that shot through her when he did it again, building to a slow, torturous rhythm even as he kissed her until Hermione felt like she couldn't even remember her own name. Each thrust of his hips ground his hard erection against her oversensitive clit and Hermione knew that her knickers were drenched with how much she wanted him to take her virginity right there on that rickety single bed.

The feel of his tongue sparring with hers made her toes curl and Hermione was very much aware of the fact that she wore only a skimpy tank top and pyjama shorts when she felt sparks of electricity crackle through her at the feel of his bony hips between her bare thighs. Just as Hermione felt herself become completely lost in the feel of his mouth on hers, in the feel of his hard body rocking against hers sinfully, in the feel of his kiss, Snape jerked back from her as though burned.

Hermione's opened her eyes wide to stare at him as he stared down at her, still scowling as though she'd displeased him. Just as she opened her mouth to protest his desertion, he spoke.

"Do you know what happens to girls who play with snakes?" he hissed, his face hovering above her, those black eyes like endless pools of darkness that drew her in even as he told her "They get poisoned."

Hermione stared up at him in confusion, wondering what any of that had to do with kissing him.

"Do not doubt me when I threaten you Miss Granger, or I'll teach you another _lesson_" he continued coldly, dropping her wrists and forcefully unwrapping her legs from around him before getting to his feet.

She watched as he reached for the pile of his clean clothes she'd folded and left on her desk after she'd washed them, her body still singing from his touch and tingling as she yearned for more. He donned his shirt and robes quickly while Hermione slowly sat up, shaking her head slowly in protest as his body disappeared inside those unchanging black folds.

He smirked at her nastily when he saw that she seemed to be in shock.

"Take a moment to consider what you've just done" He barbed her cruelly "Wouldn't your little friends be appalled to know with whom you've been snogging?"

Hermione realised he was taunting her and that he must believe she was shaking her head in horror and denial at the idea of having snogged him.

"Really let that sink in" he smirked as he buttoned the last hole on his robe and turned for the door.

In spite of the fact that she meant to protest his leaving, Hermione suddenly found herself doing just as he'd told her.

She had just snogged Professor Severus Snape.

"You'll know better than to doubt my word in future" He told her before he exited her bedroom without another sound.

Hermione flopped back on the bed, and then hissed when she felt something hard digging into her shoulder blade. She dug around beneath herself before uncovering the offending object and beginning to smirk. It was Snape's wand.

Hermione got to her feet as she considered how long it would take him to realise he'd stormed out without it. She wondered at his hasty departure. Was it simply that he was ashamed of having given in to her wanton teasing and snogged her? Was he disgusted by the idea of having done something so intimate with her? Was he disgusted with himself for having allowed such a lapse in common sense and good judgement to have actually snogged one of his students?

She'd just been kissed by Severus Snape.

And she'd loved it.

Oh, she knew it was wrong. She knew that if any of her friends ever found out she'd even been alone with Snape they'd be concerned for her well-being. She knew that to them the concept of her being sexually attracted to Snape would be unfathomable.

As she walked over to her desk and slipped the wand into her desk drawer, Hermione grinned to herself, reaching up to touch her lips tenderly. They felt swollen, and she could still taste him on her tongue.

She wanted more.

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><p><strong>AN: Again, big thanks to everyone for all the reviews! I'm feeling very loved right now. I hope you're enjoying the story. I should warn you that I'm rapidly running out of pre-written chapters, so there might be a slow down in the frequency of updates soon. Of course, I'm sure that the more reviews I get the more I'll be inspired to write much quicker ;) Thanks for the love guys, let me know what you thought of this hot little chappie! Please review. Much Love! xx-Kitten.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

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><p>When her door flew open with a bang, Hermione didn't jump. She'd been expecting him.<p>

"Where is it?" He demanded, the door slamming behind him, making Hermione wonder what time it was and whether or not anyone would be up yet to hear the racket he was making and investigate the fact that the Professor was currently in her room.

"Your dignity?" Hermione asked sarcastically "I think you left it by the pillows."

"Oh excellent use of wit Miss Granger" he replied waspishly and Hermione smirked, still not turning to look at him. "Now what have you done with my wand?"

"Your wand?" Hermione asked turning slowly, as devious smile on her face "The one I snatched off you yesterday?"

He glared at her, wearing an expression that made first years and seventh years alike want to pee their pants.

"I can't say I've seen it" Hermione shrugged nonchalantly. "Though it does seem very careless of you to have so easily misplaced it. Something distracting your attention this morning _Professor_?"

With a growl, he stormed across the room and began tearing the bedding apart searching for the lost weapon.

"You flatter yourself Miss Granger, it seems I have misplaced it sometime after you drugged me into spending the night in your room."

Hermione clucked her tongue, "Still very careless of you sir, given that at that time you were weakened – half dead in fact – and therefore vulnerable to attack. A disturbing time to misplace your only weapon."

"Oh it's not my only weapon" he snarled threateningly, turning blazing eyes upon her when he'd finished tearing her bed apart too and still been unable to locate the wand.

"There you go, threatening me again, sir" Hermione smirked at him, meeting his gaze boldly even as she leant nonchalantly against her desk.

"What have you done with it?" He growled, invading her personal space. When Hermione just tipped her head back, still holding his gaze he curled his lip "I am not above searching you."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you _Professor?_" Hermione purred up at him.

"You won't" he replied icily.

"You don't know that" Hermione replied pursing her lips before smiling wickedly.

"You are testing my patience" he informed her testily.

"It bothers you that I'm not intimidated by you, doesn't it?" Hermione asked him, feeling brave.

"If you truly believe that, foolish girl, then you are in for a very rude awakening" Snape replied and Hermione did feel her insides clench when he drew himself up to his full height even as power whispered through the room exuding from him and letting Hermione know that he didn't need the wand to wreak havoc and create carnage if he so chose. He towered over her and Hermione did feel a whisper of fear when he began to look murderous, suddenly wondering to herself if Snape had ever killed anyone.

"Take those off" Hermione commanded, feeling proud of herself when her voice only shook a little bit.

"What did you say?" he snapped, clearly surprised by her words.

"I said, take off your shirt and let me check your wounds. Then you can have your wand back." Hermione clarified, even though she'd caught the flash of heat in his eyes at her telling him to get undressed so boldly.

"I will not tolerate this insolence" He replied and Hermione held still as he seized her, his long-fingered hands trailing over her body in search of a place where she might be concealing his wand. Since she wore so little in the way of pyjamas he was limited to running his hands across her stomach and around her back and then lowering them to her backside.

"Now is that any way to teach me about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, sir?" Hermione asked him, feeling goose-pimples rise on her skin at the feel of his hands against her body. She knew he noticed them too, for though he continued to scowl, she could see something glowing in the unfathomable depths of those black eyes that suggested he liked the sight of her body reacting to him. She could tell it was the reaction he liked too, rather more than her words or behaviour, because it indicated that she was less affected by his proximity and presence that she pretended.

"Where the hell is it?" he roared at her when his roaming hands failed to uncover the wand he searched for and Hermione hoped that the silencing charm she cast last night to keep anyone from hearing him while she'd been healing him were still operating.

"Must you shout like that? You'll wake the others and then your little late night visit won't be our little secret anymore," Hermione chided him, trying to ignore the way her body was still humming with tension and what she suspected must be molten desire pulsing through her veins. She was having far too much fun testing his patience and eliciting such out of control reactions from the usually rigidly controlled wizard.

Snape glared down at her for a long moment and Hermione knew he was trying to fathom her behaviour.

"What makes you think you can talk to me this way?" He demanded, his voice cold and hissing like always, with just the faintest hint of curiosity "What makes you think you can slap me and steal my wand and throw yourself at me like some desperate harpy?"

Hermione felt the first rankling of irritation at his insinuation that she was being wanton and lustful and whorish again.

"I can still taste you on my lips" Hermione replied, trailing her index finger over the swollen flesh in answer to him. "Are you going to take your shirt off or not?"

"You are out of line" he warned her coldly.

"I like being out of line. And besides, I believe it was you running your hands all over my backside, not the other way around _Professor_" Hermione replied flippantly, smiling wickedly up at him and finding that she very much wanted him to lose his temper and snog her again. She wondered how hard she would have to push him to anger him enough that he would have his way with her up against the wall.

"This is no way to do business" he muttered murderously even as he slipped his cloak off his shoulders.

"I wouldn't know" Hermione told him, noticing that he didn't bother moving out of her personal space as he stripped back down to only wearing his trousers.

She wondered if he had even noticed the array of bandages adorning his body when he'd dressed with such haste. He held still, gritting his teeth and seething with anger while Hermione inspected each of them, peeling back the bandaging to peek at each wound and making sure they were healing.

She wondered if she imagined the way his hissed in a sharp breath when she slid her hands down his torso and over his abs as she squatted slightly to peer at the bandage of the wound that cut below his waist band.

"This one needs changing" Hermione told him. Tapping the area gently before she began peeling off the sticky bandage patch. When he quivered at the feel of her fingers trailing Dittany over the torn flesh Hermione glanced up and met his murderous gaze.

"Something wrong Professor?" She asked innocently, still running her fingers over his pubic bone, peeling his trousers down far enough to replace the bandage with fresh padding.

"You are entirely too forward for your own good, Miss Granger" he replied tightly and Hermione noticed that he was making something of a tent inside his trousers at the feel of her ministrations. She smirked to know that no matter how he tried not to, his body gave away that he approved of the feel of her soft fingers against his skin. She made sure to purse her lips to keep him from seeing the smirk. She wanted him to lose control and snog her, but didn't want him to simply lose his temper, insult her and stalk out the door only to pretend she no longer existed; or worse, to torture her mercilessly every time she saw him, which would be often when they returned to Hogwarts.

She could just imagine how painful and cruel he might be to her in his classes, how he would pick on her and degrade her even more than he already did.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione said as she stepped around him and began checking the bandages on his back.

"It's been my experience that even if I forbid it, I will be unable to stop you" he said drily, sounding irritated by the idea of her asking him things but resigned to the fact that she would, no matter his feelings.

"Why 'poisoned'?" Hermione asked "Why do girls who play with snakes get poisoned and not bitten?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder, looking utterly bored with such a question.

"Most often being bitten delivers an injection of poisonous venom," He replied as though she were thick.

"I'm aware but why say poisoned instead of just bitten, given that poisoned is the obvious result of being bitten?"

"Perhaps I shuddered to think what you might have suggested if I were to tell you that you were going to be bitten" he replied. Hermione snorted in amusement. "Either way my meaning should have been clear that if you try anything like that _ever_ again, you will find that you like the results even less than those you've already seen."

"Are you often prone to the delusion that being kissed by you is in any way unpleasant?" Hermione asked him calmly as she replaced several bandages on his back that had oozed blood thanks to his thrashing during the night.

"Are you often prone to deluding yourself that such insolence is attractive?" he retorted nastily and Hermione suspected she'd hit a nerve, or perhaps that he was just uncomfortable with her bold acknowledgement of what had transpired between them.

"I'm never deluded" Hermione assured him "My mind is sound."

"Some of your purchases yesterday suggest that you believe otherwise" he told her and Hermione scowled at his attention to detail.

"Perhaps I was concerned about others. People more prone to delusions," Hermione told him, staring at him pointedly.

"I was unaware you were so foolish" Snape said cuttingly and Hermione jerked the bandage she'd been slowly peeling away off nastily in response, making him hiss in pain.

When she was done changing all his bandages, having swiped essence of dittany over all of the wounds to seal them, Hermione stepped back from him and waited for him to turn around. He did so even as he picked up his shirt and pulled it back on over his head in a way that made her suspect he was mildly self-conscious.

"Give me my wand" he demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that" Hermione informed him seriously, pursing her lips to keep from giggling at his thunderstruck expression.

"Miss Granger" he warned, those dark eyes flashing at her in such a way that the action alone usually sent students scurrying to obey him or flee his presence.

"If I give it back to you, you'll leave. And you need to eat otherwise you're just going to show up here again tonight half-dead again when you bleed internally because you didn't eat while taking the Blood Replenishment potions." Hermione told him seriously, staring up at him as he buttoned his robes.

He still stood well within her personal space and he glared down at her furiously, looking like he'd very much like to wrap his hands around her throat and throttle the life out of her.

"Give. Me. My. Wand" He enunciated, positively vibrating with fury now.

"No. Not until you eat."

"You said that about checking my wounds. Now hand it over." He snapped in such a way that Hermione could tell he entirely expected she would do as she was told and simply give it to him in fear of his fierce and imposing presence. She fought very hard not to giggle. It was quite a rush, defying him this way, especially given that she'd never been so defiant before in her life. She was beginning to see the appeal. Of course, that was in part due to the fact that she'd noticed as he enunciated his words so slowly that like hers, his lips were swollen from the feverish way he'd snogged her.

"You're being unreasonable. This is why I gave you that Sleeping Draught" Hermione argued, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance when he gave a snarl like a beast.

"I'm not eating here with this lot of sods" he said through gritted teeth, "Now give me my wand so I can leave before any of your ridiculous friends know I was here, or I'm going to tell them all that you snogged me."

"Since you're the elder, they'd blame you and then you'd have to deal with them saying you were so desperate for action that you forced me into something sexual with you. Then Dumbledore would investigate the whole thing, because well, you _are _my teacher. And you don't really want that, do you _Professor_? Given that it was your surprising lack of self-control that resulted in you kissing me in the first place." Hermione told him, unable to keep the wickedly devious grin off her face while his eyes narrowed with what she suspected was hatred.

"You are insufferable" He growled at her and Hermione squeaked when he suddenly seized hold of her biceps and bodily shoved her towards her bed and away from the desk before proceeding to raid the drawer until he unearthed his wand.

He smirked nastily at her as he fingered it whilst glaring at her as though he'd very much enjoy hexing her. Hermione raised her chin defiantly and held his cold, narrowed gaze.

"Don't ever take my wand from me again Miss Granger" he hissed right in her face, so close that she felt his breath caress her skin "Or next time I'll do worse than snog you."

As he stormed out of her bedroom, slamming the door with an enormous bang, followed by the front door of the house, causing Mrs Black's Portrait to start screaming again, Hermione found herself plotting how best to take his wand next.

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><p><em>The positively insufferable defienace of the little swot<em>! Severus seethed as he apparated to his home in Spinner's End. How dare she believe she could defy him this way?

He had not found himself this furious, and this utterly turned on in a disturbingly long time. It had been bad enough that he seemed absolutely incapable of controlling his body around the little swot, but this was despicable. After all, it was one thing to have acknowledged to himself that she was a desirable witch and to have perhaps suffered a mild fantasy about the way she had pressed herself back against his chest so trustingly in Diagon Alley yesterday.

That had been rationalised away due to the fact that he'd had the misfortune of coming across her in that tiny towel the previous night, and due to the fact that she'd actually pressed herself against him. A very rare occurrence indeed for Severus Snape, and therefore his ponderings of the matter were seemingly unavoidable. Was it his fault that he'd never had so much physical contact in such a short expanse of time with, well, anyone?

Severus opened and closed several drawers and cupboards, slamming them with a bang that rattled their loose handles.

Of course it was his fault he hadn't had that much physical contact with anyone since he'd been fifteen years old. At least any of any kind that he'd actually enjoyed, even if in a way that made him feel mildly perverted. He detested absolutely everyone and the idea of having anyone come so close to him made his lip curl with fierce distaste. He by no means did anything to encourage or invite any kind of physical interaction with anyone, and had believed until two nights ago that his body had actually forgotten how to create an erection.

He glanced down at the front of his trousers with a scowl. His body certainly had not forgotten! In fact he was so painfully erect that walking was proving difficult and he felt as though the blood required for such a painfully hard cock inside his trousers had entirely deprived his mind of the capability to think rationally.

What other possible explanation could there be for that fact that he'd just snogged one of his students?

He'd pinned her to the bed, feeling her squirm so uncomfortably beneath him, and his ridiculous erection had believed those squirms to be all the invitation he needed. Her provocative bravado hadn't helped matters, but that was beside the point. Of course she was going to pretend she was unaffected by his proximity. She had probably been disgusted and terrified of him but too polite to actually say so. She was a sodding Gryffindor, she no doubt believed that tormenting him and trying to make him uncomfortable would have resulted in him springing away from her.

Instead he'd kissed that hot little mouth of hers, and ground his sodding cock against all that heat he could feel radiating from the cradle her hips had made for his.

Severus was disgusted with himself when the very thought made his too-hard penis throb and twitch inside his trousers. He hated himself when he heard her breathless voice inside his head again, and heard again the moan she had uttered as he'd claimed her mouth like some barbarian. She'd probably been groaning in disgust and horror, and instead of pulling away from her like he sodding well should have, he'd bloody dry-humped her like some horny teenager!

His cock throbbed harder when he thought of the way she wriggled beneath him, and the way her sweet tongue had tangled with his in such a way that he'd been unable to stop himself. Severus groaned, realising there was only one way he was going to be able to deal with this situation, and as he slipped his own hand inside his trousers and around his cock, he hissed in a breath.

He could practically feel her tongue still sweeping against his, and the way she'd wrapped her legs around his hips. Vaguely he was aware that she'd probably done so in an attempt to get him off her, but his imagination presented him instead with the idea that she'd wanted him even closer. That she'd wanted to feel more of those hard thrusts he'd delivered against her spread legs. His hand moved slowly over his turgid member, pumping up and down the way he had been imagining he would do to the little swot were he to have his way with her there in that rickety single bed.

As he thought again about the way she'd snogged him back, Severus found himself intrigued. He'd been fully expecting her to bite his lip or his tongue in an attempt to get him off her, and he wondered if it was simply that she was so shocked that he'd actually kissed her that she had responded purely by instinct. After all, he didn't imagine that had been her first kiss. She'd seemed far too good at it. But then, after not snogging someone himself in so long perhaps it was simply seemed better than it was.

He groaned as he moved his hand faster over his throbbing cock, imagining the way she'd trailed her fingers so sinfully over his pubic bone as she'd healed his wounds and the way she'd knelt between his legs last night while she'd been helping him. He could feel again, the way he silky hair had felt gripped in his fist while she'd been in that position and Severus found himself imagining that it was her soft hand delving inside his trousers and touching him so.

He closed his eyes, giving in to the sensation as he thought about the little witch and the way she so intrigued him when she'd stare at him defiantly. He could hear her voice in his head asking him why he deluded himself into thinking his kisses were unpleasant, and telling him so boldly to take his clothes off. He felt his body begin to shudder with effort as he recalled that image. She'd looked at him so sinfully, and Severus allowed himself the delusion that she wanted him. That she was provoking him because she was attracted to him. That her wrists wriggling in his grip as he'd pinned them to the bed were the result of her wanting to pull him closer; wanting to bury them in his hair and to clutch him to her, rather than because she was trying to escape him.

His head dropped back as he imagined it was her hand or even that naughty little mouth of hers on his aching cock, bobbing up and down in a way that was quickly shoving him towards orgasm. Merlin the feel of that tight little body beneath his, writhing and rubbing against his so sinfully made him want to apparate right back to Grimmauld Place and have his way with her.

The thought brought him undone and as he flew off the cliff, his mind blanking but for that wicked smirk she was so good at, Severus cursed. Warm, sticky cum shot into his palm and he groaned at the feel of his release after so many years of depriving himself. His knees actually buckled from the power of it and he slid down the cupboard he was leaning against until he was sitting on the floor in his dilapidated kitchen, breathing hard.

When the high began to wear off, Severus realised that now he'd not only acted inappropriately with a student by kissing the provocative little swot and pinning her to the bed whilst grinding his cock against her tight body, he'd jerked off to the idea of having his way with her too.

_You are such a fool Severus_ he thought to himself miserably. Angry at himself for his lack of control. Angry at her for the fact that she'd matured enough that he'd bloody well noticed and begun to think her desirable. Angry at the fact that in spite of what had happened, he would still have to see her on a regular basis because he was still her fucking teacher.

Never had he been in any way inclined towards any of his students. Not even when he'd begun teaching at twenty-one and had only been a few years senior to them. He was twice Miss Granger's age, and was still her teacher. That didn't even begin to address the fact that she was a beautiful and desirable young woman, while he was unattractive, unfriendly, and downright mean.

_She only said those things to scare you off Severus_ his conscience sneered _She could never be attracted to someone like you. She was provoking you to make you uncomfortable enough to leave her alone!_

Severus knew his conscience was right. No witch in her right mind would even feign attraction to him without monetary incentive and he knew it. A whore he'd paid had told him as much. And Merlin knew he'd heard enough cruel comments over the years about his appearance and his nature to know that no one even liked him, let alone found him attractive or wanted anything to do with him. The only people who did were the Dark Lord, who was using him as a Spy. And Albus, whom, ironically, was also using him as a spy. Beyond that Severus had no one who gave a damn if he lived or died. And he certainly didn't have the affection or attraction of a pretty, bright young witch like Hermione Granger.

When his mind caressed her name, Severus got to his feet, feeling even worse than he had while he'd been being tortured. And when he went upstairs to change into some new trousers, he caught sight again of the bandages all over his body. The result of someone taking care of him; of helping him; of actually giving a damn about him for a little while.

His cock twitched again as her face floated in his mind. He was attracted to one of his students. He'd snogged her and he bloody well wanted to fuck the little witch. He wanted to possess her so completely that she would never look at another man. He wanted to tie her to his sodding bed and fuck her until she was moaning his name and covered in the marks he'd leave on that tight, luscious, delicious body of hers.

Severus groaned in frustration when his cock sprang to life again. Flopping down on his bed, Severus buried his hand against his aching groin once more, promising himself that he would avoid her whenever possible. That after this, he would put her out of his mind and refuse to fantasise about her or think about her or even acknowledge her existence except when absolutely necessary. He most certainly would not snog her again, nor pin her to any flat surface with his body while he rubbed himself against her. And he most certainly would not even entertain all the scheming thoughts currently plaguing him of ways in which he could get her alone in order to seduce her.

At least, he wouldn't until she had graduated Hogwarts and was no longer his student. Severus felt himself begin to smirk at the thought. Yes, the minute she was no longer his student, Hermione Granger would be fair game to him, and if he had to destroy everything in existence, he would have her. He only had to wait a year, and Severus Snape was a very patient man when he needed to be….

"Fuck!" he cursed as he came a second time, already knowing there was no way he would be able to wait.

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><p><strong>AN: Cherubs! What did you think? I know you're all dying for more action between them, and trust me I am too, but we'll just have to see where this leads, now won't we? Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing. You guys are the greatest. I love knowing what you think. Pretty please review and let me know what you thought of their interactions and that little glimpse into Sev's psyche. Much Love. xx-Kitten.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

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><p>For almost two weeks after the snogging incident, Hermione saw nothing of Professor Snape. Not that it stopped her thinking about him and fantasising about the way it had felt to have him pressed down on top of her so sinfully, the way it had felt to have him snog her so furiously. She'd tried to talk herself out of her attraction to him, tried telling herself it was all just the ridiculous monotony of being in Grimmauld Place with absolutely no excitement going on at all. Harry and Ginny were sneaking off all the time and Ron and Lavender still had a thing going between them, meaning Hermione was left with a lot of free time.<p>

As a result she had absolutely nothing to distract her from the fact that she was increasingly sexually aware and sexually frustrated. Even the huge number of books she had purchased had done little to distract her from her increasingly explicit fantasies about Snape. Most nights she found herself in her room, daydreaming about how it would feel to have him running those rough hands over her aching flesh and imagining that cold voice of his murmuring dirty things to her.

In fact, it had gotten so bad that Hermione found herself sitting in the kitchen, sipping a soothing cup of chamomile tea laced with Sleeping Draught because every time she went into her upstairs bedroom all she could think about was the way it had felt to be pressed into the mattress of the spare bed by _him_. She'd tried everything, but it seemed like the more she tried to deal with her neediness herself, the hornier she became. Hermione glanced up in surprise when she heard the sound of the front door opening with a creak.

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was well after one in the morning. Pulling her wand free of her waist band, Hermione crept towards the source of the noise, wondering who it could possibly be showing up at this hour. When she heard a soft thump, followed by a groan of utter agony, Hermione rushed into the entrance hall and gasped at the sight before her.

Severus Snape was slumped on the floor a few feet inside the door, and he was barely recognisable. He was covered in filth. Most of it looked like mud, and slime, but she could definitely see blood mixed in.

"Snape?" Hermione asked, squatting beside him and poking him to see if he was still conscious. He groaned again, and one eye – the one not swollen shut – cracked open to glare at her.

"Oh gosh. I know you must be really hurt if you're like this, but you've got to wash all this stuff off before I can do anything" Hermione told him "Can you get up?"

With what looked like a mammoth amount of effort, he attempted to push himself up and groaned again. Hermione shrugged off her robe before scooting closer and helping to haul him to his feet, ignoring his groan of agony. She half dragged him towards the downstairs bathroom, the one he'd caught her coming out of that first evening weeks ago. Hermione waved her wand to get the shower running, Snape cursing and muttering in pain as she helped him step up into the tub, not even bothering with his clothes since they were so filthy.

He groaned again as she pushed him under the hot spray, having to stand under it herself to help him balance.

"What have they done to you?" Hermione demanded of him, propping him against the wall as she tried to tug some of his clothes off with the intention of discovering where the blood on him was coming from.

"Don't…. touch…" he muttered almost incoherently.

Hermione ignored him in favour of stripping him of his robes and his shirt. She gasped in horror when she saw his wounds. Unlike last time, where it had looked like he'd been whipped, this time it looked like he'd been mauled by some kind of animal.

"Did Greyback attack you?" Hermione asked him, patting his cheek to get his attention since he looked completely out of it from the pain.

"No….. not…. Werewolf….." he managed through gritted teeth.

Hermione didn't need to hear anymore. As long as it wasn't a werewolf bite on him, she could heal the wounds without risking him dying. She moved her wand over him quickly, healing what she could and frowning when many more of the wounds didn't respond to her ministrations.

He groaned again, and Hermione suspected he must have a broken leg when he swayed precariously but didn't put weight on his left leg. She gasped and squeaked in fear when she tried to catch him but couldn't hold him upright as he swayed too far and he fell heavily into the bottom of the bath, Hermione landing in his lap. He groaned and Hermione immediately waved her wand, listening to him curse when his leg twitched as the bone snapped back into place and began to knit itself back together.

It was just as she was reaching for the leg of his pants to see if there was any damage beneath the fabric that Hermione spotted it.

Snape's discarded clothes had clogged the drain, filling the bottom of the bath with water, and standing in the shallow water was the cutest and oddest creature Hermione had ever seen before. She couldn't say it was a creature she recognised, and it was watching her with huge puppy dogs. It looked just like a Mogwai out of one of the Gremlins films, with large long ears that stuck out the side of its head like a cow's. It had a fluffy face with large eyes like a puppy or a baby seal, and the cutest little button nose. It was even smiling at her, standing there in the water, its light brown fur getting all wet in the warm water.

Hermione felt entirely mesmerized by it, unable to take her eyes off it. The cute little creature held its arms out to her just the way you could imagine a baby or a bear cub hold its arms up in clear indication that it wanted to be picked up. It even opened and closed its tiny little hands as though begging her to pick it up. Feeling like she was in a trance, all but forgetting she was sitting on Snape's lap in the bottom of the rapidly filling bath, Hermione leaned over, intending to pick it up and cuddle it.

"Hermione no!" Snape said sharply, suddenly shifting beneath her until his hands wrapped around hers and jerked them back. The creature began to cry like a puppy whose tail has been stepped on and Hermione struggled against Snape's hold.

"Don't touch it! Don't even look at it Miss Granger." he told her in an earnest, commanding voice that demanded her attention.

"But it's so cute" Hermione protested.

"It's a Toomwaloo" he said, having shoved her hands between his body and the bath side, pinning them there so he could turn her face away from the adorable, crying creature "It's the creature that did this to me. It will do it to you if you touch it. You've already acknowledged it so it's going to hang about trying to get you to touch it. Then it will kill you."

"Kill me? That tiny, cute little thing. You're delirious" Hermione told him, trying to turn and look at the creature again.

Snape growled, his hands going to her face, turning her to look at him once more.

"Focus, Miss Granger. Surely you've read about this creature before? You read every bloody thing you can get your hands on!" He snapped, his hands still clutching her face as he tried to cup them around her eyes like blinkers to keep her from being able to look at the creature. When she tried to turn away again, Snape lost his temper and leaned up, snogging her soundly on the lips and making her forget all about the cute little crying thing standing in the bath with them.

This time he snogged her much more insistently that he had weeks ago. Rather than his lips crushing hers and being entirely domineering, he kissed her in such a way as to elicit a response from her. His hands cupped her cheeks, his fingers gently touching her closed eyelids to ensure that she didn't look at the creature. Hermione sighed at the feel of him kissing her, her fingers coming up to tangle in his wet hair.

The creature began to cry louder and when that didn't draw her attention away from her professor, it began to snarl in annoyance. Hermione was still aware enough to know it was there, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from Snape's kisses and the moment she'd taken her eyes off it she felt like she'd snapped out of the trance-like state she felt the minute she spotted the thing.

His lips were soft but firm against her, his tongue insistent in her mouth, sweeping against hers in a way that made her toes curl. She knew he'd only done it in a last-ditch effort to distract her attention away from the Toomwaloo, but that wasn't going to stop her taking advantage of the fact that he was once again snogging her. Not when she'd been daydreaming about it for weeks.

"Don't look at it" he commanded when he pulled away, his fingers still lightly touching her eyelids and preventing her from opening her eyes.

"What's a Toomwaloo?" She asked, holding perfectly still in his lap even though it felt strange to sit there with him intimately touching her sensitive eyelids.

"The evil sibling of a Boggart" Snape told her, his voice sounding husky. Hermione wondered if it was from the pain he was in or from her kisses. "Where a Boggart hides in furniture and things and transforms into whatever you fear most in order to make you leave it alone, a Toomwaloo follows you around, turning itself into whatever you find the most endearing in order to have you touch it. When you touch it, it has permission to do whatever it wants to you. They are insatiably curious and will literally explore every crevice of your body, poking and prodding at you. If you try to fight it off they take on their true form once more, which is a two foot tall, purple slimy creature with green splotches, huge fangs and disfigured features you might expect were you to cross a frog, with a bird, a goat and a bear. They bite and rip and tear at you until you're all but dead. The poison in their bite renders you almost paralysed and makes it so you can only see their true form because they no longer have a use for you since they've already investigated you."

"That's why it was so cute" Hermione said, aware of the fact that the water filling the bath was now lapping at the sides, and no doubt spilling over.

"Yes. So don't touch it" Snape said, his voice sounding cold.

"You need to move your clothes away from the drain or we're going to flood the whole house" Hermione told him seriously.

"I'm aware of that. There's someone sitting on me and preventing my movement" he replied and Hermione could swear he sounded amused and drily irritated at the same time. She could tell that he must have poison in his system too, because he seemed to be routinely gritting his teeth and forcing his body to cooperate, even though it didn't want to. Hermione suddenly understood why he'd seemed far more unresponsive when she'd helped him in here, even though he suffered less severe wounds than he had two weeks ago when he'd woken her in her bedroom.

"I want to touch it" Hermione admitted to the Professor whose lap she was currently sitting in.

"Does that really seemed to wisest thing to say whilst sitting in a bath with your teacher, Miss Granger?" Snape demanded, and Hermione giggled when she realised how such a statement could be mistaken as a sexual advance.

"You're the one who keeps snogging me," Hermione pointed out, opening her eyes to smirk at him when he pulled his hands away from her in annoyance.

"You are flattering yourself again" he replied, holding her gaze.

Out the corner of her eye, Hermione could see the Toomwaloo still looking like a Mogwai, now sitting and playing in the full tub between Snape's ankles. It looked very much like a child playing in the water, its little hands slapping at the water and splashing about, giggling to itself. Hermione realised just how dangerous it was because it was entirely too cute and adorable to resist, and was clearly content to wait for her to notice it again.

"How did it get in here?" Hermione asked, waving her wand at the pile of clothing clogging the drain and levitating them out of the water.

"I caught it for classes at Hogwarts…. You seventh years learn about it and some other dark creatures this year…. I had it in a cage… for three days, but it finally got the best of me… Must've followed me here," Snape told her, his dark eyes fixed on hers in an attempt to give her something other than the Toomwaloo to look at.

"You resisted it's cuteness for three days?" Hermione demanded, wondering what kind of restraint and self-control he must have to have managed that since she was already aching to pick it up and play with it. She was mildly flattered to realise that in spite of his control, he'd lost it and snogged her two weeks ago.

"Men have an easier time of it because we're less prone to wanting to help things and care about them." Snape told her drolly "The fact that I despise children and anything else considered in any way cute or adorable helps. It had the hardest time trying to settle on what form to take in order to transfix me into touching it."

"But it's so adorable" Hermione protested, shocked by his admission. "And how can you despise cute things?"

"Very easily" he retorted "Now get off me and don't look at it."

"You're still bleeding" Hermione told him, wriggling around until she could stand. She made sure to keep her back to the Toomwaloo, though it made every effort to gain her attention when it started to cry and then started trying to run around into her line of sight as she helped Snape back to his feet since he was still in bad shape.

"I'm aware of that. You got side-tracked whilst healing me" he retorted, sneering at her as though she were weak.

"Again, it was _you_ who snogged me" Hermione told him.

"In future I'll know better and just let you get yourself molested by a Toomwaloo" he spat, his dark eyes flashing with that cold expression he so often wore at Hogwarts that made first years wet themselves.

Hermione smirked to herself rather than commenting. It was difficult to ignore the little Toomwaloo, which had begun to jump up and down to get her attention, but Hermione kept her attention riveted on Snape.

"What do we do about it and how do I heal these?" Hermione asked him, unsure on anything to do with Toomwaloos because she'd never heard about them or even read about them anywhere. "They aren't responding to healing spells."

"It's the poison. I need you to brew an antidote, Miss Granger," Snape told her, still looking like death. Hermione didn't comment on the fact that he was leaning on her heavily, one hand clamped painfully tight around the top of her bare shoulder as she helped him out of the bath, waving her wand to clean up the water that had sloshed over the sides of the full tub and to dry the pair of them.

The creature had begun to cry pathetically again in such a way that Hermione was sure it was in pain and she began to glance at it. Before she could, Snape took hold of her chin firmly and turned her face upwards until his own face hovered above hers, his fingers unrelenting when she tried to look at the Toomwaloo again.

"Do. Not. Look. At. It." He enunciated slowly, his warm breath caressing her cheeks because he stood so close.

"But it…." Hermione began.

"Do I need to snog you again?" he demanded, and Hermione could tell he thought it was a valid and terrifying threat rather than something she enjoyed and had been fantasising about.

"That might be best" Hermione replied solemnly, unable to keep from grinning even when she pursed her lips to try.

"You are very strange and very foolish, Miss Granger" Snape told her, eyeing her with an expression of confusion and intrigue in his dark eyes. The rest of his face never changed from the same cold expression of disdain he always wore.

"How do I stop the bleeding?" Hermione asked seriously when she realised he wasn't going to snog her again.

"You need to brew a potion, one listed in the _Sinistrum Assyrer _potions book you purchased a few weeks ago" Snape told her and Hermione nodded, realising that must be why he'd come here with a dark creature following him, one that was likely to get to her and possibly the rest of the people staying at Headquarters too.

"Then we need to get you to my room, without letting that thing in" Hermione said seriously, helping him towards the door as she noticed how sluggish he seemed as he moved. It was as though his whole body was stiff with poison and he was covered in bite marks.

"It will follow us up the stairs" Snape murmured to her, glancing at the creature, which was now waddling along beside Hermione, its little hands over its face as it cried like a child who's been told it can't have the sweets it wants. Hermione shivered when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders so he could pull her close against his side. At first she thought he did it to better balance as they walked up the stairs when he was so unsteady on his feet and seemed almost delirious with the poison coursing through him.

When he leant down a bit so that his lips were pressed against her ear, Hermione held her breath, the sensation causing goose-pimples to prickle over her skin.

"Outside your door you and I are both going to Stun it" he breathed in her ear, as though worried the creature would hear them over the sound of its own crying. "I'm going to kick it back down the stairs, then we will close, lock and ward your door."

"You can't kick it" Hermione protested "You'll hurt it."

"I'll do more than hurt the little fucker" Snape grumbled and Hermione stumbled at the sound of the swear word coming out of her teacher's mouth. It wasn't that she hadn't heard him curse in the past. Two weeks ago when she'd healed him he'd cursed a blue streak and said far worse words. But the malicious way he said it now suggested that he would very much enjoying hurting the Toomwaloo.

She realised the magic of the Toomwaloo must be effecting her when she felt a twinge of concern for the creature, and was worried further when she also become concerned with the idea that the Professor she'd obviously developed a thing for, could be so utterly cruel that he would willingly and joyfully hurt such a cute creature. Even if it had basically molested him and gnawed on him and rendered him almost dead before going on it's way, utterly bored with him.

"Must you always be so aggressive?" Hermione asked him mildly as they reached the landing. Even as she said it, he was glaring at her through his one open eye the other was still swollen shut because she'd been more focused on healing his bleeding wounds than on bruises. She could tell he was thinking incredibly rude thoughts about her.

"Must you always be so insufferable?" he retorted thickly, his own wand clutched in the hand that wasn't clamped around her shoulders.

"One" Hermione mouthed to him, turning them both slightly so that the creature was standing on the step. It was still wailing pitifully and Hermione wondered how it hadn't woken the portraits or anyone else in the house. She cursed, wondering if it could pick up on it's targets thoughts or if it was just observant of the fact that she was once again looking at it and wanting to pick it up, when it suddenly wailed much louder and all the portraits, including Mrs Black's began to scream.

"Now" Snape hissed to her, and Hermione immediately stunned the creature.

She gasped in horror when instead of 'Stupefy' she heard a different curse falling from Snape's tongue.

"Avada Kedavra" he growled, and the creature screamed before it began to writhe as though it was in pain. Swinging his leg back, Snape's foot collided with the creature with a muted thwack and the little mogwai shaped Toomwaloo went soaring right back down all the stairs where it collided with the door.

"You just…." Hermione began, horrified and wanting to rush after the creature before noticing that it suddenly transformed, still writhing on the floor and twitching, though it no longer screamed.

"It's not dead" he growled, cutting her off "It's a XXXX classified creature, like a werewolf. The Killing curse is ineffective on them. Run down there and use an umbrella to shove it out the door before it wakes up again."

"What's going on door there?" Mr Weasley's voice called from further up the stairs, clearly investigating the racket the portraits were making.

"Fuck" Snape cursed again and Hermione squeaked when rather than being able to go down the stairs like he'd suggested, he suddenly hauled her into her bedroom along with himself, where he proceeded to close, lock and ward the door to keep anyone from getting in.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded, trying to shove him aside with the intention of explaining the situation to Mr Weasley.

"Brew the potion" he growled at her, shoving her aside as he limped towards the bed he'd slept on weeks ago.

"Mr Weasley is going to come down here and investigate all the noise" Hemrione hissed back at him. "I have to warn everyone else, otherwise they're all going to end up like you."

"He'll see it by the door and know what to do" Snape argued with her "And if you don't make the potion I'm going to die…."

"And when he knocks to find out why I'm not investigating all the noise and tell me there's a Toomwaloo in the house?" Hermione demanded. She didn't dare wave her wand to light one of the candles in her room, lest Mr Weasley or anyone else see it and think she was awake, only to discover Snape in her room.

"Pretend you're asleep" Snape snapped at her, sinking down on the spare bed in her room and groaning quietly as though he was still in pain. The sound spurred Hermione to cross her room and begin searching for her potions book and her cauldron and ingredients. She had to do it by the light coming in through her window, which was very limited since the glass was darkened and the street lamp on the street outside flickered.

"They're going to know something is wrong" Hermione cautioned him. "We left the door open, and that Toomwaloo is laying there writhing and twitching. And I left my fresh cup of tea on the table in the kitchen, not to mention that it will be obvious that the bathroom downstairs has been used. They're either going to think someone is in the house, which you are, and so will search it. Or they're going to think one of us has been kidnapped and come barging in here to make sure I'm alive."

"So lie" Snape growled.

"What don't you want them to know you're here?" Hermione asked him, confused. Admittedly she didn't want anyone to know she'd put him in the shower or that he was now in her room shirtless, but she didn't see the issue.

"Do you know what that mutt will say if anyone finds out I've been attacked by a Toomwaloo?" Snape demanded, his one open eye flashing dangerously. Hermione knew he meant Sirius, and she could just imagine that Sirius would be insufferable about it. He'd tease and torment Snape for taking pity on something cute and winding up mauled for his trouble.

"Do you know how they're all going to panic when they find my cup of tea and abandoned dressing gown downstairs?" Hermione demanded right back. They were all going to think she'd been kidnapped.

"Fuck" Snape groaned, his teeth gritted in annoyance. "You couldn't bloody remember to pick them up?"

"I was a little concerned with getting you into the sodding shower and trying to heal your wounds" Hermione retorted angrily.

"This type of carelessness is why you don't get full marks in my class" he snarled at her, and Hermione flinched to find him suddenly on his feet again.

"What are you doing…?" Hermione asked when he limped closer, swaying dangerously.

"Do you have the potions book?" He asked her through gritted teeth.

"Yes… why?"

"Well, if they're all going to think you've been kidnapped… Snape began, before he lunged at her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Hermione gasped in pain when he crushed her to him even as he turned on the spot and apparated them away in spite of the wards on the house to prevent people being able to apparated in from outside or out from inside.

She could feel the wards strain and tear with a squeal akin to tearing denim, before she stumbled, landing painfully on a hardwood floor in a dark room. Snape groaned as he released her and stumbled away a little where he collapsed in a chair.

"… Then you might as well actually be kidnapped" he finished his sentence, sounding as though he was in even more pain than he had been at Headquarters.

"You just splinched yourself, didn't you?" Hermione asked him drily, realising the problem immediately when she lit her want and noticed that he was clutching at the leg she'd healed for him that had been broken.

"Fucking wards" he growled angrily.

"What did you think was going to happen?" Hermione asked him, rolling her eyes in impatience with the professor "And where have you brought me?"

"My house" he groaned. "Need potion."

"Now you're going to bark at me?" Hermione asked, getting annoyed with him. This was taking things too far. Everyone was going to panic when they found her gone and he clearly didn't give a hoot.

"Miss Granger!" he snapped, glaring at her even as he dragged himself to his feet. "If I make it myself with this poison in my bloodstream, I might seize up and muddle the stirring or I might accidentally put in too many drops of the Acromantula venom this potion calls for. So I need you to make it. Preferably before I die or bleed out."

"You just snatched me from Headquarters and brought me to your house, no doubt resulting in everyone at Headquarters panicking and thinking I've been kidnapped by Death Eaters rather than by you!" Hermione snapped at him, getting annoyed at him, even as she waved her wand and lit the rest of the house up.

Hermione was mildly surprised by the state of his house. She'd expected he would be rigidly clean and tidy in his home the way he insisted students must be in the classroom, however, while the place was clean, Hermione was surprised by the used and abused quality of the house and its contents.

The chairs of the lounge, where he had brought her, were dated and age, with extensive wear marks and several tears where the stuffing bulged outwards. The carpet too was threadbare and worn. In fact everything she could see looked as though it had been bought sometime more than thirty years prior and had been treated poorly. She suspected that had little to do with Professor Snape and more to do with perhaps his parents, since she suspected this was the house he had grown up in, and that he simply had never bothered to move.

She sighed when he made no comment regarding the fact that the rest of the Order currently residing at Headquarters would no doubt have been alerted to her disappearance by now. He was either too out of it from the effects of the poison and the pain of the attack, not to mention whatever ill-effects he was suffering from apparating them both through the wards of Headquarters.

"Where is your potion making equipment?" Hermione asked him seriously, glancing around the room and noting that he had an extensive library on the surrounding shelves. In fact it was the shelves alone that looked new, in order to support the many tomes that Hermione found herself itching to get her hands on.

"Through there" he nodded towards a door to the left of the lounge and Hermione could tell that he was hastening towards unconsciousness.

"You need to take something quickly or you're going to pass out" Hermione warned him. "Do you have any Blood replenishment potions?"

"They'll make it worse. The less blood, the less chance the poison has to travel around my system" Snape informed her.

"Maybe a Pepper-Up potion then?" Hermione suggested, going over to him and hauling him to his feet, feeling entirely uncomfortable to wander around his house without him escorting her. She didn't exactly feel confident that he wouldn't pass out right there in the chair on his own, and for all her cleverness, Hermione knew she was going to need his help to brew the potion.

"Won't help" he muttered, and Hermione noticed that he seemed to be losing control of his limbs because when she wrapped his arm around her shoulders, he didn't seem able to hold on, though she saw him grit his teeth as he tried.

"You're losing fine motor skills" Hemrione told him seriously.

"That's why you have to make the potion" he muttered to her while Hermione half-dragged him into the room he'd indicated.

If the entire situation were not so dire, Hermione might've paused for a moment to consider the fact that he was a Potions Master, and yet trusted her potion making skills enough to save his life. Moreover, she might've considered the fact that twice now, Severus Snape, a man notorious for his suspiciousness and lack of trust for absolutely everybody, had come to her when his health was threatened. In fact he'd trusted her with his very life and Hermione suspected she ought to be very flattered indeed that he trusted her skills at potion making and her spellmanship enough that he had specifically sought her out in spite of the dire consequences he faced, in order to assist him with his recovery.

"What do you have in here that I can give you to slow or counteract the effects of the poison?" Hermione asked him when she'd managed to drag him over to sit on a stool, where she had to prop him against the wall in order to keep him from falling on the floor at her feet.

"Tarditas Potion" he told her, unable to point and so forced instead to stare pointedly in the direction of a glass cabinet filled with phials. Hemrione jumped up and searched for the potion.

"It won't slow your mind too, will it?" Hermione asked him as she brought it to him, "I've never brewed this potion before, and I don't know enough about Toomwaloo's or their poisons."

Hermione narrowed her eyes on the Professor when he smirked cruelly with amusement and muttered "It would seem then that you are not so much of a know-it-all, Miss Granger."

"You're practically dead, and you're still insulting me intelligence?" Hermione snapped at him, losing her temper now.

After all, he had barged in on her in the middle of the night. Again. And had proceeded to insult her and subsequently kidnap her, resulting in the rest of the Order no doubt worried sick, all because he didn't want Sirius to make fun of him for having succumbed to the wiles of a creature so dark and magically powerful that a direct attack with a Killing curse did not actually kill it.

"Make the potion" he commanded, snatching the phial she'd brought over. Or trying to. He fumbled it and almost dropped it. Hermione sighed, snatching it right back from him and moving closer to him until she could pour it down his neck. He growled at her incoherently in response when she trailed her finger down his neck to make him swallow it.

Hermione did as she was told after that, with several snapped instructions from him. Of course, the snapping instructions simply made her feel like she was right back at Hogwarts, except for the fact that Professor Snape, rather than being dressed in his usual black robes and frock, was instead shirtless and covered in bite and scratch marks all over which were still oozing blood over his bared chest.

"They're going to find your wet, discarded and bloody robes in the downstairs bathroom and assume it is you who somehow kidnapped me, you know?" Hermione asked him while the potion simmered as she stirred it counter-clockwise seven times and clockwise eight time in a repetitive fashion.

"Probably" Snape grunted.

"And they already don't trust you as it is, so they're going to assume you've betrayed the Order. To be honest I'm surprised no one has arrived to check and see if you're here."

"They couldn't find the place or get in if they tried." Snape replied to her while Hermione tried not to focus too much on all the blood adorning his body.

"Do you have an owl so that I can contact them and tell them I'm fine?" Hermione asked him.

"What makes you think you are?" Snape replied.

"You're not in any shape to attack me, and I don't believe the rubbish that you're working against the Order. I have no doubt that everything you reveal to Voldemort is done via the instruction of Professor Dumbledore. And besides, were you to hand me over, I would be incapable of brewing the rest of this potion, and so you would succumb to the poison coursing through your system. I hardly think that was your intention." Hermione rationalised to herself, refusing to fall for his poorly timed jab at humour.

"If you tell them you're fine, they will cease to worry about your return, and will instead want to know what you are doing here with me and why it is that my robes, and your dressing gown were to be found discarded throughout Grimmauld Place" her countered and Hermione felt her blood run cold at the very idea.

That would not be ideal at all. Hermione was horrified to imagine what the rest of the Order and her friends might be thinking at that moment. She could just imagine the types of conclusions they might be drawing.

"As such, they will deal with the Toomwaloo. You will finish brewing this potion, and I will return you to Headquarters when I am able."

"So I'm your prisoner now?" Hermione asked, finding that instead of fear, she felt a rush of excitement at the idea of being kept in his house with him where no one else could find them and interrupt them.

"The term prisoner suggests that you are being held against your will" he informed her, and Hermione could tell he must be out of his head with the poison, because he'd begun to leer at her a little.

"Oh, so I'm a guest who's obligated to help you and not allowed to leave until your healed?"

"Obligated?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at her. Hermione wondered if she imagined the way he looked mildly insulted, and for just a moment, hurt by the suggestion that she was only helping him out of some kind of obligation. She realised that her words had come out not the way she intended, and that he was getting his nose out of joint about it like he did about everything else.

"You certainly made it sound like my capability to leave your house hinged on me healing you" Hermione pointed out, seeing his lip begin to curl now, prompting her to rush on "Not that I wouldn't help you, with or without an incentive."

"Because you're such a noble, bloody Gryffindor" he sneered nastily, looking away from her, his dark eyes flashing murderously. He groaned as he attempted to turn away from her too, and almost fell off his stool for his trouble.

He didn't say anything else to her, and Hermione knew that his condition was worsening. It was clear the poisoning was slow-working, designed to make the death of any who defied a Toomwaloo slow and painful. From the way his breathing laboured as they hours wore on, Hermione could tell he was suffering far worse than he let on, he was simply much better at hiding the effects and distancing himself from the pain than most. She had no doubt that were their places to be traded, she would be writhing and screaming in agony on the floor. She could tell from the way he clenched his fists and didn't seem able to unclench them thanks to the loss of motor skills.

As the hours wore on, Hermione began to feel the effects of the late hour. After all, he hadn't actually arrived until after one in the morning, and it was almost dawn by the time that Hermione finally finished the potion. When she brought a goblet full over to him, he was delirious, and tried to fight her off, but simply lacked the motor skills for it, his limbs paralysed and not responding to the commands his brain gave them. He groaned and snapped at her fingers like a wounded animal when she held his jaw firmly and pried his mouth open. She had to press her whole body against the length of his, and still he was surprisingly strong as he tried to fight her off.

When she managed to get the potion into him, he shuddered at what she expected was an impossibly foul taste if the smell of the potion was any indication.

"You need to rest, Professor Snape" Hermione whispered to him when he went practically limp in her arms before jerking violently and gasping awake.

"Rest," he muttered, peering at her as though he didn't quite know where he was or how she'd gotten there.

"Yes, rest" Hermione said "Where is your bedroom?"

"Upstairs" he whispered, and Hermione shivered when he brought his hand up, his fingertips brushing ever so lightly down her left cheek before trailing along her bottom lip as though he were fascinated by her.

Hermione smiled a little, her whole body reacting to the touch with a resounding cry of need. However, before things could get out of hand again while he was still so incapacitated and she felt utterly dead on her feet, Hermione wrapped his arm around her shoulders once more and began to help him through the dark house, waving her wand to light and extinguish the way as she went until she managed to locate his bedroom upstairs.

If she hadn't been so tired, Hermione might've felt a thrill at the idea of walking into Severus Snape's bedroom, but instead all she could really do was stumble along, helping the powerful wizard to his bed where she deposited him. She waved her wand at him in an attempt to clean the blood off, noticing as she did that his wounds were slowly sealing over now that the poison had been countered.

For just a moment, Hermione bit her lip with indecision as she stared at the beige sheets on the bed where he'd already crawled, pulling them over himself. She knew it would be very wrong indeed of her to slip into his bed beside him, not matter how much she might want to.

She made to turn away, thinking him already asleep and supposing it would be best if she found another bed or perhaps slept downstairs since she imagined he would be incredibly cross to come across her in his bed when he woke up. After all, it was one thing to have woken up on his chest two weeks ago, provoked him and tormented him into snogging her. It was quite another for him to wake up and discover her not just inside his home, which she suspected he was very private about, but also in his bedroom and his bed. Especially given the fact that tonight he had spent all of his time in her company effected by poison and pain, and therefore couldn't be thinking straight and might even have no recollection of tonight's events.

"Hermione" she heard him whisper just as she was walking towards the door. She turned back to look at the dark haired wizard, surprised he was still awake. One of his eyes was still bruised and swollen shut, but the other watched her sleepily. She hesitated a moment when he reached over and flipped back the sheets on the other side of the queen bed, a clear invitation for her to join him rather than finding someplace else to sleep.

Knowing she was probably going to regret it, and yet doing it all the same, Hermione crossed the room, glancing down at herself as she realised her pyjamas were once again covered in his blood, not to mention crusted with some mud and slime that he'd been covered in when he had arrived at Headquarters. Hermione grimaced at the idea of sleeping in them, but when she waved her wand the slime and blood seemed to resist her cleaning spells. Shrugging in annoyance, Hermione spied one of his white undershirts laying over the back of a chair by the open closet.

Quickly, she shrugged out of her shorts and tank top, self-conscious for a moment when she remembered she wore no bra beneath her tank top. Standing in just her knickers inside the Potion Master's bedroom, Hermione felt a strange rush of naughtiness before she slipped his white undershirt over her head, the length of it covering her enough to maintain her dignity. She slipped into the cool sheets beside Professor Snape and had a moment's thought that it was incredibly intimate to be lying beside him in bed, before exhaustion overtook her and Hermione drifted right off to sleep with her face buried in one of his pillows, breathing in his delicious scent.

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><p><strong>AN: Apologies for the slower updates, this is the last fully written chapter I have for this story at present, so you'll have to bear with me as I work on the rest. I will try to update at least once a week. Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think Snape is going to do when he wakes up with Hermione in his bed. Many thanks to all who've been reviewing. Your love makes me all warm and fuzzy inside! Much love cherubs! xx-Kitten.**


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